


Second Chances

by nereno



Category: Naruto
Genre: Action, Alternate Canon, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anal Sex, Angst, Canon-Typical Violence, Crime Fighting, F/M, Friendship, Good Uchiha Itachi, Itachi really needs a hug, M/M, Redeemed Itachi, Relationship(s), Romance, Saving the World, Secret Identity, Sex, Slow Burn, Spoilers, Time Travel, Time Travel Fix-It, Trust Issues, Underage Drinking, Violence, War, i guess, in which Itachi tries his best, struggling with feelings, to some extent
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-26
Updated: 2019-10-03
Packaged: 2019-11-06 02:30:39
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 8
Words: 51,877
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17931128
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nereno/pseuds/nereno
Summary: Uchiha Itachi was a cautious man. It wasn't in his nature to make sudden decisions, but this one reckless choice might just turn out to be the best sudden decision he had ever made.In which Itachi turns back in time before it all turned bad and tries to save the world.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> PLEASE READ
> 
> So I'm a fan of time travel fic. I have read every single one in the Naruto universe, but there just doesn't seem to be enough to satisfy my endless thirst, so I figured I just might try to write one.  
> Itachi is by far my favourite character because I just love flawed characters who try to do good things, and even if he is canonically portrayed as a genius, he is definitely full of flaws as well.  
> I wanted to try to tackle this complex character and delve deeper into his personality through this fic.  
> And well, here is the result.
> 
> Please note that the rating is explicit and that there WILL be violence, and at some point sex scenes.  
> Everything will be between consenting adults.
> 
> Also, if you haven't read Blackkat's Backslide and Reverse, please do, because they're amazing. I just loved them both, and they are mainly what made me want to write a time travel fanfic in the Naruto Universe.
> 
> This fiction will not be based on Blackkat's work, obviously, but please do give their work a read.
> 
> I do not own Naruto, or any of its characters. This work is purely fictional and I do not make any profit out of it.
> 
> Thank you for reading.

Once, when he had been much younger, Itachi had thought that if people could be given a second chance, if they could be resurrected, they would probably be much more careful the second time and would try not to die meaninglessly again. He had reckoned that if he, who was already very cautious, were to be brought back, he'd be so perfectly careful that he wouldn't ever be killed again, and that he'd manage to outwit everyone.  
But in that split second of awareness, that flash of understanding that suddenly made everything he knew about the world connect flawlessly, he realised how foolish he had been to believe he wouldn't be as reckless as anyone else.  
Because it all made too much sense. The reason why everything had gone so horribly wrong, why the war was raging and why so many shinobi had already lost their lives, it all came down to one single person.

It seemed so clear now, that Itachi couldn't understand why he hadn't thought of it before. Obito and the Kannabi Bridge. Because if Obito hadn't gotten stuck under the rubbles, he wouldn't have met Madara. If he hadn't met Madara, he wouldn't have unleashed the Kyuubi to destroy Konoha, and without the Kyuubi unleashed, Minato and Kushina would have survived. If the Yondaime had survived, he could have stopped the Uchiha revolution in time, and the massacre would have never happened.  
Every single one of Itachi's darkest nightmare and deepest regret were all connected to that one, tiny event that had somehow resulted in the 4th Shinobi war.

It made too much sense, and the second Itachi realised this, he knew he was going to act recklessly and probably make a mistake. Because he had realised all of this as he had been on his way to kill Kabuto and had he stayed on track, had he gone to Kabuto to stop his Edo Tensei, the outcome would have probably been very different.  
But instead, Itachi had decided that there was another way, a very foolish and reckless way to save the world, and he wasn't about to simply give up because it seemed far-fetched.

Even now, surrounded by seals scrolls so complicated that even his genius couldn't comprehend half of them, Itachi didn't want to give up. He hadn't even hesitated before changing tracks and making way back to Konoha to dig through centuries old Uzumaki seals in hope of finding what he needed.  
On some of his Anbu missions, he had heard other shinobi talking about it, and at the time, it had seemed idiotic. Time wasn't something to be messed with, only someone desperate or mad would try to reverse the course of time. Itachi was desperate, and probably not so sane any more if he was truly considering doing something so irresponsible. He hadn't even thought out a plan yet. He hadn't really been able to stop and think about what he was doing. All he knew was that he had been dead, now he was alive, and if he didn't do anything, they would lose the war and every single person on the planet would be trapped in a Genjutsu.

After all, if a Genjutsu could force every soul to be forever stuck in an illusion, how hard could it be to force every soul to rejuvenate? Not as hard as one would believe, if the scroll that Itachi had found could be believed. It was a dark and illegal Jutsu, and even as Itachi drew the final lines of the Seal down onto the Earth, he couldn't help but worry if he was truly doing the right thing. He still probably had enough time to go back to where he knew Kabuto was hiding and just forget about this foolish plan.  
But now that the idea had formed, Itachi couldn't help but dream about this new world. A world in which he wasn't forced to choose between his village and his family, a world in which Sasuke didn't have to drown in hatred, a world in which Madara wouldn't be resurrected. All of that could become true, if he played his cards right, if he saved Obito.

 

The seal was horribly complicated, and Itachi took the time to check it thrice to make sure he hadn't forgotten any line or hadn't made any curves too tight. The upside to this more than dire situation was that, just like Madara's Infinite Tsukuyomi, this Time-Turning Jutsu needed a full moon to be activated. This was the only chance Itachi would get. The moon was high and large, looming over the forest in which Itachi had drawn his seal, its light illuminating every line and curve. The scroll had been cryptic, and Itachi could only guess how it truly worked. The only thing that seemed clear was that the more Chakra used, the bigger the jump in time. His Chakra reserves weren't big, nowhere near any Uzumaki, and this seal was meant to be activated by more than one person. He was alone.

There was another source of worry that Itachi had not allowed himself to delve on for too long. He had been resurrected by Kabuto, but what would happen to him, to his body, if he jumped back to a time when Kabuto was probably not even born? He was better off not thinking about that too much, because if the seal worked, if he could turn back in time, it didn't really matter if he survived or not. He hoped he'd give everyone a second chance, even if he wasn't there to see it.  
As he began to pour his Chakra into the Seal, Itachi had a faraway thought for his younger brother, the one he had given everything up for, and he could only hope that his endeavour wasn't as useless as he feared it might be. The upside to being resurrected through Edo Tensei was that he couldn't die of Chakra depletion or exhaustion. If he used his Chakra wisely, in time he might be able to gather enough Chakra for the Seal to activate. After all, Itachi didn't need to go back centuries, like the seal was originally made for, he just needed a few decades, and as time passed and more Chakra was poured, Itachi hoped saving Obito was truly all it would take to save the world.


	2. Improvise, Adapt, Overcome

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so I forgot to say this before, but obviously there are going to be many spoilers up until the Kaguya Arc, so basically if you haven't finished Naruto Shippuden, just mark this for later and read it when you're done.
> 
> Also, I had never realised how big of a mess the timeline in Naruto is. Seriously, I love Kishimoto and his work with all my heart, but damn, he fucked up. I tried to stay as canon-compliant age-wise as I could, but there were just no mention at all of some characters' birthdates so I had to improvise.
> 
> I just hope this all makes sense in the end lmao

When Uchiha Itachi opens his eyes, the very first thing he thinks is _'I am alive'_. It's not a productive thought, really, because obviously he is, but it doesn't mean that he isn't completely blown away by the realisation. He hadn't died _again_ using the seal, and with his dire lack of viable plan in mind, just the knowledge that he hadn't fucked up was enough. He was alive, his body hadn't imploded, and the world was still standing, the seal had worked and Itachi hadn't even realised how tense and worried he had been but now that his body relaxes, he feels lighter than he has in _ages_.

He has given everyone a second try, and he knows he has no time to waste on being soft and mushy, but just thinking of his kid brother, being out there, innocent and _happy_ , it warms his heart and makes the guilt he has been feeling since the massacre a tiny bit lighter. Hell, even his parents are alive and well. _Shisui_ is alive and well, and if anyone really didn't deserve to die, it was Shisui.  
Itachi takes a breath and looks up, but the wind gets caught in throat when the sight registers.

It takes less than a second for his heart to stop from the horror and the fear of realising that, actually, maybe he should have put more thought into all of this before activating the seal. He is still in the Konoha forest, he can feel the echo of his own chakra, strong enough to alert any shinobi around that something big just happened. The seal worked, he is alive, and back in time. But it didn't work _enough_. In front of him, tall and proudly standing are the faces of the Hokage, and Itachi is very far from them, but not far enough to miss the number. Four faces. Four Hokage. The Kannabi-Bridge tragedy happened before Minato became the Fourth Hokage, and Obito has already met Madara.

Itachi was known to be a calm and cautious man, and this time he regrets bitterly not having followed his own precepts. In the haze of quickly rising hurry and panic, Itachi activates his Sharigan, and searches his surroundings. The seal on the ground has disappeared, and the scroll is nowhere to be seen. With enough luck, he could probably find the scroll again, and with it jump back again. But now is not the time.  
He can feel three chakra signatures approaching, well hidden and controlled, but not enough for him not to notice. Probably Anbu, with how close to Konoha's gate he is, and he knows he has to leave because even if he has no idea of what he is doing, he still understands that Anbu stumbling upon an unknown Uchiha outside of Konoha means trouble for everyone involved.

Itachi runs without even any idea of where he should go, and as he rushes through the tall trees, he is half preoccupied with keeping his Chakra tightly under control to not be detected, and half worrying about what he should do next. Because if he can't save Obito, then the reason why he came back disappears and Itachi simply hates when things don't go the way he expects them to.

It doesn't take long for him to lose the three Anbu on his tail, they are good, and there is probably a Sensor among them, but Itachi is better at hiding than they are at searching, and all it takes is a few minutes of careful running through the woods. He lurks in the shadows of a few sunken rocks for a few minutes, and when he is sure that the Anbu are far enough, he allows his breathing to come back to normal and for some chakra so seep through the cracks. His Sharigan activates, more out of habit than practicality at this point, and he studies his surroundings once more. 

He has moved quite a long distance from where he was, but he is closer to the archives station than before, and he almost decides to just go in there, consequences be damned and steal the seal to redo it all over again a third time. But the Archives's building is a lot closer than what he'd like to the Hokage's office, and Itachi knows his chances of even making it past the barriers unnoticed are inexistent. And then, that realisation brings on a thought.

_Who is the Hokage?_

Itachi knows that the chances of it being Minato are small with his reign being barely over a year, but he'd like to believe he's had enough bad luck throughout his life for it to finally even out the second time around. Because if Minato is the Hokage, it'll be much easier to convince him that Itachi means no harm, and that he's just trying to save the world. Hiruzen Sarutobi, on the other hand, as much as he doesn't want to admit it, distrusts the Uchiha and has lived a life filled with betrayals. His patience is wearing thin with Danzo's schemes, and Itachi doesn't think he'll take kindly to a stranger with no means of proving his identity whatsoever roaming around Konoha. And Itachi doesn't like the old man very much. He isn't one to hold grudges, and he wouldn't say that he regrets the choices he made, it's more that he wishes Sarutobi hadn't coerced him into thinking that annihilating an entire clan was better than risking a civil war.

All this is giving Itachi a headache, and he wonders if he'll ever stop regretting this sudden choice, because right in this moment, when the gravity of his decision registers, he isn't sure he'll be able to forgive himself. He needs to think, to stop and plan out the course of action he'll follow.

He runs a hand over his face, stopping briefly over his eyes to feel the Chakra pulsing through, but then he realises something is wrong, or maybe awfully right. His skin feels warm to the touch, and his fingers don't catch on the paper-like cuts of the Edo-Tensei. He is alive in all the way that matters, and that is more luck than he's allowed himself to believe he'd ever have. He glances down at his arms and sure enough, he looks pale in the moonlight but he's not sickly white and because it all seems too good to be true, he takes a kunai and gently presses the sharp side above his elbow, just to make sure. A dull pain registers, barely there with how little pressure he puts on the weapon, and a thin red line appears. He bleeds, and he would have never guessed this thought would make his heart swell with happiness.  
He knows, rationally, that his reincarnated body would have given him an advantage over any enemy, because being unkillable had made him literally unbeatable, and Itachi has never seen himself as someone overly sentimental, but he thinks there's beauty in being vulnerable. It will make him think twice before jumping _again_ head first into situations he has no control over.

Itachi allows himself a deep breath, he knows he shouldn't be wasting time hanging around Konoha without doing anything productive, but he feels overwhelmed in a way he hadn't in a while. The air is filled with smells – fresh air made crisp by the chilly night – and the reigning silence is sparsely broken by the distant singing of birds. There are a few stacks of smokes rising from chimneys, mixing high up with dark rainless clouds and all of this is just so utterly _Konoha-like_ that for the first time in what seems like forever, Itachi is reminded of what it feels like to be home.

 

The sun is rising, and Itachi has an idea. It's dumb, and the chances of everything going well are so slim that were he in any other situation, he'd throw away the entire thing and leave. But he is an unknown number of years in the past with a world to save so he doesn't have much of a choice.  
He needs to get inside Konoha and find out who the Hokage is. He needs that information to come up with a plan, but he isn't really sure yet how he is going to do that without getting in trouble. He looks like a shinobi, there's no way around that. His eyes are sharp and his movements tightly clipped in a way that screams chakra control and years of heavy training. The Chuunins at the gate might not figure him out, if he acts well enough, but the second he stumbles upon a Jonin, or even an Anbu, Itachi knows he'll have to run.  
Itachi takes a deep breath, and tries to ground himself before he finally gathers enough courage to head for the gate. He is immensely thankful that the seal had thrown him back in time not looking like a creepy corpse. It makes it easier to disguise himself as a civilian. His eyes are back to obsidian black, and the hold he has on his Chakra is unwaveringly tight as steel. No one will be able to tell he even _has_ Chakra. The red cape he had been reincarnated with does a good job of hiding his weapon pouch, as well as his basic shinobi uniform, but it doesn't go high enough to hide his chain and Itachi takes it off without another thought because it screams shinobi as well. 

Itachi walks towards the gate, and he hates how slow he has to be in order not to raise any alarms, but he won't take any chances. He knows he looks like an Uchiha, even with his Sharingan deactivated, and he really doesn't want to think too much about his younger self. If Itachi didn't go back far enough, chances are that 'Young Him' is already around his teen years, and the age difference won't be enough to hide the resemblance, especially if he takes a wrong turn and runs head first into someone who knows him well.  
Really, how much would it suck to have to fight a family member, or even Shisui? Or even himself.

Suddenly, Itachi feels self conscious about his appearance, and he tears his hair tie away, leaving his hair fluttering in the brisk wind of the morning. A different hairdo might not do much, but he really hopes it will be enough. He should probably cut his hair, or even dye it, no matter how displeased he feels with the prospect. He can't let people realise he is an Uchiha.

 

He is getting close to the gate, and Itachi feels restless.

He has to be inconspicuous, and that's something he is used to from his Anbu years, so making himself as bland and unthreatening as possible proves to be quite easy, and if not for the light quickening of his steps when he passes the gate, Itachi does a great job of remaining entirely impassive, even if he feels all but calm.  
It's early, but Konoha has always been a city filled with life even at dawn. There are a handfuls of merchants coming in and out, even some children running around and Itachi tries to blend in with them.

He keeps his gaze steady and doesn't allow himself to glance sideways at the two Chuunin guards no matter how bad he wants to check if it's Izumo and Kotetsu. He tries to walk slowly, and look as unbothered as possible, keeping his demeanour easy and his gait light, and he is almost disappointed when nothing happens. Peacetime was an awfully easy time for people to slip inside the town, and Itachi feels frustrated, almost angry, that Konoha would be so defenceless when the world is literally ending.

When it doesn't seem like anything is about to explode or go horribly wrong, Itachi allows his muscle to relax fractionally, and when he doesn't implode on the spot, he allows a wooshing breath to make it past his lips.

He got inside easily, and that was the hardest part of his plan. Next is finding someone who will inform him of who the Hokage is, and he never allows himself to hope, but really he prays it is still Minato. Asking a ninja is definitely out of the question, but civilians might be wary of a stranger asking questions. Itachi had never felt exactly at ease with children, but they were loose-tongued and usually didn't bother remembering one more faceless stranger in the vast village of Konoha.

 

The playground is much smaller than Itachi remembered it, and he feels horribly self-conscious to be there so early in the morning when there are so little people around. He is a grown-man of twenty-one years old, childless, wearing oddly concealing clothing and standing in the middle of a place made for children. It wasn't the Anbu he should be concerned with, but the Konoha Police Force.  
Thankfully, there are no parents around, and Itachi doesn't hesitate before walking towards the sandbox, head held high as he steps inside, his footsteps loud on the crunching sand. A few children look up, before going back to their mindless games without another thought, and Itachi is eternally grateful that children have no sense of danger.

There is one girl, who is alone in a corner with a bucket filled with sand and Itachi stops in front of her. She looks up, brown hair shining in the sun and stares at him mouth open.  
"Hi," Itachi tries, and were he a lesser man he'd cringe at how awfully awkward he sounds.  
"Hi!" The girl answers, a smile blooming on her face, "you wanna build a castle with me?"  
Itachi almost recoils when her hand shoots out to grab his pant, and it takes every ounce of willpower he has to crush down the shinobi-honed instinct he has of using a Shunshin to get away.  
"No, I just have a question," Itachi says slowly, and he prays that the girl will just drop it, but when has Itachi ever been lucky.  
"No one ever wants to play with me," she whines, and her voice is high, incredibly high, and there are tears in her eyes and Itachi is starting to panic. He can feel the eyes of the other children on his back, and they are mocking and smiling, but most of all Itachi fears that a crying child will be enough for the lingering adults to decide to intervene.  
"I'll play with you if you tell me who the Hokage is," Itachi offers, and he hates how dumb he sounds, but he figures that simple stuff makes most sense to children and he truly hopes it'll be enough to calm her down. 

But it would seem that it wasn't the right thing to say, because suddenly she wails, and she's _loud_. She grabs his leg tighter, and Itachi is sure he sees snot being smeared on his pant but he can't really pay attention to that when there are two Chakra signatures rushing to his location. They are small, and weak, probably belonging to some Genin, or even Academy Students.  
Before he can even decide how to pry the girl off, there are two teens, only a few years older than the crying child, sanding in front of him. They look self-righteous, chest puffed out and a large smirk stretching their mouths. He knows they are under estimating him, and at least it means his cover as a harmless civilian is working, but they are also wearing a Hitai-ite, and that means Itachi is in trouble if he stays here much longer.

"You like to make children cry?" One of them challenges, and Itachi thinks it's nice of them, to want to help some unknown civilian child, but right know he is too preoccupied with how in the world he's going to get out of here without hurting anyone to stop and admire their magnanimous attitude.

Itachi figures he doesn't really have much of a choice, and he is confident in his ability to run, if anything. It takes him less than a second to decide what he is going to do, and then another second to set his plan into action. He glances down at the girl, catches her eyes filled with tears and his Sharingan activates. Her eyes widen in surprise before she falls down, sand sticking to her wet face as she lies in the sandbox fast asleep. Itachi can hear the two teenagers gasp, he can feel the way their chakra gather as they get ready to attack, but he is much faster, and in a blink, one of them is also down, sleeping through a Genjutsu, while the other is left to stare open mouthed at Itachi who is standing right in front of him after a small Shunshin.  
"Who is the Hokage?" Itachi asks as his Sharingan spins leisurely, his hold over his chakra so controlled that not even a drop is wasted on useless moves.  
The young shinobi's eyes waver and for a second, Itachi fears he'll pass out before he gets an answer, but the Genjutsu works, and the kid answers. He breathes out a name that makes Itachi's heart drop and it's only out of habit that he uses a wide-range Genjutsu on all the children around, the two shinobi included so that no one will remember what happened on this playground.

Itachi curses, and he can't help but bite down on his lip, hard enough that it draws blood. His fists are tightly shut, and he knows that some Chakra is seeping through, he also knows that he needs to get the hell out of here this instant, because using four Genjutsu made a lot of his Chakra spread. He knows he needs stay in control, and leave, but just for a second, he stands in Konoha, breathes in its familiar smell.  
He'd laugh at how disastrous this is all turning out to be, but he can't really manage that much.

Itachi looks up and glares at the stone-faces. It's the last time he gets to see them in a while, because he's not going to come back any time soon. He won't take a step inside Konoha unless Hiruzen Sarutobi isn't Hokage.

 

 

Getting out of Konoha had been just as easy as getting in, but it was more because Itachi had decided he didn't care any more if he was spotted. He was faster, stronger, and cleverer than any of the men that could try to hunt him down, and that had proven to be true when he had jumped right over the High Walls of Konoha, breaching the barrier and alerting every Anbu in the vicinity. None of them had been able to chase him far, or rather they had given up once he had crossed the border into the Land of River.

It had taken him a few days to get there, but in another country, he was sure that no one would come looking for him when all they probably had was a vague physical description and nothing to hold over his head, besides breaking a handful a barriers.

 

Itachi sighs before he takes another sip of water. He had decided to stay in the country for a few days and give himself time to decide what he should do, but it had quickly become clear that without money, he wouldn't lead a stellar life. Thankfully, the Land of River is poor, so extremely poor that when Itachi had offered to hunt down food in exchange of a room to stay in the first inn he had seen, the owner had immediately accepted.  
His traps weren't anything grand, far from his speciality, but they did a satisfactory job when it came to catching a few boars and some rabbits. 

Itachi bits back yet another sigh, and gets up from the small table that serves as the only furniture beside the bed in his room. Not even a chair, but he has had to accommodate with far worse during his deserter years and he is even thankful he has a roof over his head and food in his stomach.  
Still, it doesn't help him with his plan.

Itachi knows he has to get out of here and start doing something constructive, but if he is being honest, he has no idea what he should do. For a while, he had considered going back to Konoha, use his strongest Genjutsu on the Hokage and force him to cooperate, but that was a recipe for disaster, especially considering the current relationship between the Uchiha and the Council.  
This was the other source of his worries. Over the past few days, Itachi had managed to get a few information here and there from the owner of the inn, a gentle old lady who probably thought of him as a harmless traveller. She likes to talk _a lot_ , and Itachi hadn't had to even ask one single question to determine when he was. 

_"How sad what happened in Konoha, it's been over three years and yet I can't seem to get over it. So sad, oh so sad how the Fourth died fighting this terrible creature. Would you like another cup of tea? Oh, where was I? Ah yes, so sad. You heard about the fights in the west? So sad, this world."_

If the Kyuubi attack had happened three years ago, it meant that the Uchiha massacre would happen in another three years, give or take. Itachi knows that if he doesn't do anything about it, history will just repeat itself, but he also doesn't want to accelerate things by placing the Hokage under a Sharingan-induced Genjutsu. That wouldn't be good publicity for the Uchiha.

At least now, with this piece of information, Itachi has a new goal, even if he didn't yet figure out how he's going to deal with it. Tobi's Akatsuki is already out there, and they are looking for the Bijuus. Itachi can't know for sure who the members are but he knows he has to stop them. If Itachi can anihilate Akatsuki, Madara won't be brought back, and without Madara, or the Ten-Tails, Obito can't launch the Infinite Tsukuyomi. He doesn't really want to think about how this new plan means he'll probably have to kill Obito, because in the end Obito is just another victim, but the guilt of shedding innocent blood is nothing next to the end of the world.  
Itachi doesn't want to admit he isn't even sure if he _can_ kill Obito, because that's something he'll take care of the time comes. For now, he needs to find out who the members are, and neutralize them.

Itachi gulps down the rest of his glass and puts it down on the battered wooden table, before gathering his belongings and leaving his room. Another upside of shopping in a poor country was that most clerks were so desperate to get food on the table that, just like the owner of the inn, they hadn't hesitated before swapping clothes for meat. It seemed almost comical that his long years of training would be used on animals so that he could get clothes on his back and a bed to sleep in.

Itachi hitches his bag up on his shoulder and makes sure his pouch is packed with weapons. He has decided that he'll spend another day in the small town and look for ways to get some money, before leaving for a bigger town where the gossip will be more likely to give him the information he needs, as well as a sword.  
Itachi's Kenjutsu isn't especially strong, but he knows, realistically, that if he wants to remain as unnoticed as possible, he'll have to cross out using his Sharingan, and that means relying heavily on Taijutsu, which he isn't as used to as he'd like to admit.

Itachi walks down the stairs of the inn and heads for the counter where the old lady is, smiling his way when their eyes meet.

"You're leaving, young man?" She asks as she reaches for the keys that Itachi just dropped on the counter.  
"Yes," he answers, because even if he knows that she is harmless, she speaks so much that even revealing where he is headed could be dangerous.  
"Mmh, if I were someone looking for information, I know I'd pay attention to what these three sirs over there are saying. Seems important," she whispers, her eyes twinkling happily.

Itachi lets his lips turn up fractionally, and he looks to where the old woman points discreetly with her bony hand. There are three shinobi sat at a round table, each of them a pot filled with beer in the hand. They wear Suna's gear, and sure enough Itachi can make out the shape of an hourglass on their headbands. They are talking quietly among themselves, looking far to engrossed in whatever matter it is they are discussing to pay attention to Itachi.

He thanks the old woman, and really, who would have thought that mentioning once to this random stranger that he was looking for whatever information seemed important would result in him gaining exactly what he was looking for.

Itachi moves away from the counter and hides in the shadows of a corner, he knows he is far enough that activating his Sharingan won't disrupt his chakra waves so badly that the shinobi will notice, and the second he does, his eyes go straight to the one facing him. He reads on his lips what he is saying, and Itachi swears he can hear the blood rushing to his ears when he realises what it is exactly they are talking about.

"It's worrying that someone managed to get their hands on him. It means Gaara isn't safe either," the one in front of Itachi says. His eyes shoot right to the shinobi sitting to the left, and his face is turned sideways, but Itachi can still make out what he is saying.  
"Who knows, maybe Iwa didn't want to admit that he simply ran away," and Itachi doesn't really need any more information to connect the dots, but the shinobi keeps on talking and there's no room left for confusion.  
"Who in their right mind would target a Jinchuuriki?"

 _Akatsuki_ , Itachi thinks, and he doesn't stay a second more. He knows Akatsuki had gotten their hands on two Bijuu before Itachi joined, the Gobi and the Nanabi, and if what the Suna shinobi said was to be believed, Iwa's Jinchuuriki had just disappeared.

Well, the Land of River isn't all that far away from the Land of Earth. Itachi can be there within a month if he takes his time to stop in a few villages and hear the gossip.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading, once again, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. It's a lot of narration and boring stuff, but I felt it was necessary to implement the world, before jumping right to the fun part.  
> Also, Kakashi should be here in the next chapter, and damn I'm excited to write it.  
> I am extremely inconsistent in my updates, so please bear with me. It shouldn't take me too long to post the next chapter, but I definitely won't be as fast with the finals quickly approaching.
> 
> Bear with me lol


	3. The Road to Hell is paved with Good Intentions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> finally, yeah, I know, it took me a month to update lol  
> seriously tho, the next chapter won't take as long, it's already written, I just need to edit a few times.  
> pls bear with me

In the end, it doesn't even take two weeks for Itachi to get into the Land of Earth, and he did stop a few times. He took the time to get his hands on a Bingo Book, and he went after a few thieves and some robbers, just enough to have money, but not so much as to raise suspicions. And now that he is in a bigger town, in a flourishing country, Itachi hopes he'll manage to find a weapon shop where he'll be able to buy a good sword.  
But that's not what is most important. While travelling, Itachi decided that he'd give himself a week in Iwa to find anything about the missing Jinchuuriki, and that if he came up empty, he wouldn't waste another second and head for the Hidden Village of Taki. It didn't matter if he had to spend months there, he knew that after the Gobi, Akatsuki would come for the Nanabi, and when they did, Itachi would be waiting for them.

Maybe it wasn't what he had had in mind when using the seal, but Itachi knew he would have to adapt if he wanted to save the world. With enough luck, he could stop the Akatsuki before they took any other Bijuu. For now, Itachi just hopes he can manage to not make matters worse, and that was the reason why he had decided he would remain in the shadows.

Ever since he had come back, almost three weeks ago now, he had kept thinking about whether he should try to seek out help from people he had trusted in the past, but they were all too young in this timeline, and Itachi wasn't entirely sure how he was supposed to explain that he was from the future without sounding completely insane.  
As an Uchiha with an awaken Mangekyo Sharingan, time travel didn't seem that far-fetched. If a Doujutsu like Obito's had been able to change the shape of space and dimensions, it didn't come across as mad to believe that Chakra could reverse time with the appropriate jutsu.

But Itachi also knew that there wouldn't be many people who just nod and accept that he was truly from a different time. Plus, Itachi didn't really want to think about what would happen if he did tell people. Would the world collapse from impossibility of Itachi being twice in the same space-time? Really, it was a wonder nothing had imploded when Itachi had entered the same space-time as a younger version of himself. Time and Space were forces out of his control, and even his understanding. He had messed around with something he didn't understand enough, and he wasn't going to take more risks than necessary.  
All that mattered now was saving his brother, and the people he cared about.

 

The Hidden Village of Iwa is very different from Konoha. The atmosphere isn't anywhere near as light and lively. He can feel the wary stares of civilians and shinobi alike, but Itachi pays them no mind. After visiting a few villages, he has mastered his civilian cover, and if it comes to the worst, Itachi is confident, after so many years of running away, that he can somehow make it out of here alive.  
Still, it doesn't mean he feels at ease. There's close to no vegetation in Iwa, and even water is hard to come by. Itachi is impressed they even manage to flourish when their village is so shut off from the rest of the world.

 

Itachi takes another turn without any idea of where he is going. He has been roaming around the town for a few hours now, but just in case some Iwa shinobi are watching him, he wants to look like a harmless traveller exploring the neighbourhood. Walking allows him to think, and he needs to plan out his course of action very carefully.  
Taki isn't far from Iwa, and Itachi knows he can be there in a week if he takes his time. He is well aware that he probably won't find any information in Iwa, at least not by asking civilians. Chances are that they don't know one of their Jinchuuriki is missing. Most probably aren't even _aware_ that they have a Jinchuuriki, let alone two.

Which means that if he wants to get even the smallest information on their Jinchuuriki, Itachi has to either gain someone's trust, or force them to talk with a Genjutsu. Both options requires that he first finds someone with a rank high enough to know about such confidential matters.  
Itachi can feel another headache coming. 

At any rate, he needs to start hanging in places frequented by shinobi, and because he _really_ wants a sword, Itachi makes another turn into the main street where he knows he passed a few weapon shops, and starts by hanging outside what seems to be the biggest around town.   
Itachi had hoped he would find quite a few ninjas around weapons shops, but so far there hasn't even been one customer, and he is starting to grow bored. The number of merchants strolling through the town can be counted on one hand, that just shows how trading and sales in Iwa have plummeted. 

Itachi gives it another hour, but when no shinobi shows up, he decides he'll just buy his sword and go look in taverns instead. 

 

As soon as he enters the shop, the clerk welcomes him and runs to his side. His smile is too wide and the way he fumbles over his words sounds more than desperate to Itachi's ears.  
"W-welcome, my good sir! Do you, uhm, well, what are you looking for? Can I help you with anything?" He asks, and Itachi notices how young he looks. Iwa really isn't in a good place after suffering such a loss in the War if they need to employ teens.  
"Where are your swords?" Itachi asks as he takes in the sheer size of their kunai and shuriken shelves.  
"Right over here sir," the clerk says as he moves quickly towards the other end of the boutique, before immediately speaking up again. "We have a large choice of Katana, as well as larger weapons..." and Itachi knows the kid keeps going on and on about how skilled their smith is but he really doesn't care.  
Throughout his Anbu years, Itachi has had to learn how to fight with a tantō, and he knows he is good with a blade, no matter the quality. As long as it's sturdy and doesn't break easily, Itachi will take it.

"So, what type of sword are you looking for, exactly?" The clerk asks again, and Itachi doesn't even bother answering.

In front of him is a large arrays of katana and ninjatō, but it's not what he is looking for and he doesn't hesitate before turning away to move closer to where a handful of tantō are scattered. The shinobi of Iwa don't rely on weapons and are heavily trained on Ninjutsu and Taijutsu, and Itachi is surprised they even _have_ swords.  
He picks up what looks to be the most durable of their blades and turns it over, testing its weight.

 

"Who even fights using these kinds of swords any more? It's lame," a high-pitched voice whines.

Itachi looks up, one eyebrow cocked up in amused surprise at the unexpected words. But his amusement disappears as fast as it came when his eyes land on the kid in front of him. He is young, a lot younger than Itachi ever remembers him being, but there's no mistaking his long blond hair and the bright blue eyes that stare up at him.  
 _'Deidara'_ , Itachi almost breathes out, but he holds the name back, knowing how disturbed the child will be. He doesn't know him, not in this timeline, not yet, so Itachi remains silent.

"You shouldn't waste time on these sucky weapons, look for something aesthetic," the blonde keeps on talking, but Itachi isn't really listening any more.

 _At least_ , he thinks distantly, _the world hasn't imploded this time either._

But beyond that, Itachi has a hard time thinking. Because of course, Deidara is in Iwa. He hasn't defected yet, he hasn't joined Akatsuki yet, and he is still a shinobi of the Hidden Stone. That's another life saved from the grasp of Akatsuki, he suddenly realises. In his own time, Itachi had been the one to force Deidara into joining the Akatsuki, on Nagato's orders, and he had always felt guilty for it.  
Deidara's hatred for him hadn't made it any easier to stop blaming himself. He had been too young when he had joined, and still too young when he had died. His blood was on Itachi's hands.

"Kid, don't say that, I am sure this man can decide what he wants to buy," the clerk says, and if Itachi wasn't so preoccupied with the shinobi in front of him, he would had found it comical how distressed the clerk sounds at the prospect of losing what is probably going to be his only customer for the day.  
"Mmh, just helping a fellow shinobi out," Deidara says, and Itachi can't waste another second being too surprised to react.  
"I am not a shinobi," he retorts, and he knows it's a weak comeback because travellers don't really head into weapon shops but he doesn't have a better argument.

Deidara seems entirely unimpressed with his statement, and he cocks a brow as he smirks. ' _Not a shinobi, eh?_ ' his eyes seem to say as he looks at Itachi from head to toe, and Itachi is suddenly reminded of the reason why Deidara had been recruited when he was barely fifteen. He is a genius, a tactical genius and a highly intelligent individual when he isn't obsessing over art. That means trouble for Itachi, because someone smart enough is bound to figure out he is an Uchiha and he _really_ doesn't want that happening.

Itachi looks away from the kid and takes the tantō with him to the counter before he drops the number of ryo written on the price tag on the wood of the cash register. It's awfully expensive, considering that it's nothing spectacular, but he doesn't have time to waste negotiating when he needs to get away from Deidara.  
He is probably not even ten years-old yet, but by that age Itachi had already killed countless Jonin and been through a War, he knows he shouldn't under estimate a shinobi based on their age, especially one as clever as Deidara.

Itachi is out of the shop before the clerk can even process that he just sold a weapon, and he is far from ear-shot when he is profusely thanked for his purchase. He doesn't waste time worrying about any lingering Iwa-nin and rushes away. He won't use a Shunshin, because it's a technique too advanced to make him seem like he is 'just your average shinobi passing by', but he is fast, faster than a child and he is out of Iwa in a matter of minutes. He needs to stop and come up with a plan.

 

The day hasn't exactly turned out the way Itachi had expected, but at least now he has a sword, even if he will have to be much more careful over the course of the week if he wants to gather information without running into Deidara again.

Realistically, Itachi knows Deidara isn't a threat, but he hasn't had the time yet to figure out how he is going to act around people who used to know him. He has to be careful, because even if Deidara hasn't met his younger self, chances are that they _will_ , and the kid is too clever not to see the resemblance if he hangs around Itachi too much. 

Just as he is about to reach for some food in his bag, Itachi feels a Chakra signature approaching, and he spent too long around his fellow Akatsuki 'friends' not to immediately recognize it as Deidara's, even if it's much less refined than what he has been used to. Really, it's a wonder he hadn't even noticed him entering the shop, but Itachi has been trying to ease up on the amount of Chakra he had been spending in scanning his surroundings over the past weeks.

"You run pretty fast for someone who isn't a shinobi, mmh," Deidara says the second he reaches Itachi, and he does sound winded but Itachi is surprised he even managed to catch up to him. "So what's some not-shinobi stranger doing in Iwa, buying weapons?" The kid asks as he crosses his arms over his chest, head held high.  
"It's not any of your business," Itachi answers easily. They are far from the gate, far enough that Itachi can use a Genjutsu if he can't find a way out of this without using his Saringan.  
"Well, I've just been promoted to an Elite Squad you see," and Itachi vaguely remembers that, yes, indeed, Deidara had been quite an important shinobi in Iwa, but before he can try to recall what he knows of the kid's past, he keeps talking. "It is my duty to protect my village from enemy shinobi."

Itachi stares him down, and for the first time, he really looks at Deidara. His Iwa headband looks brand new but Itachi knows it's because Deidara must be taking care of it thoroughly, and there's a fire in his eyes that he doesn't remember ever seeing there. He is young, his dreams haven't been shattered yet, and it shows in the lightness of his steps and the clear determination of his gaze. Deidara is nothing but a child who loves his village dearly, and Itachi can relate. This Deidara hasn't deflected, his hands don't sport hideous mouths from a Forbidden Jutsu that he hasn't even stolen yet, and Itachi thinks it might be better if he never does.

"I am not your enemy," Itachi states, and it's the truth. He is no one's enemy this time around, he wants to save the world, and that includes everyone who lives in it.  
"So why'd'you run away so fast?" The kid shots back.

It's a clever question, but Itachi doesn't even hesitate for half a second before coming up with an answer. "I was in a hurry to test out the sword."

Deidara looks completely and utterly nonplussed. "That so, mmh."

Itachi nods, and he focuses on keeping his demeanour relaxed. He hasn't had the time yet to ponder on whether or not using his Sharingan would make him go blind again – because his sight had been restored when he had been resurrected – but he'd rather not find out just yet, and that means that over-using his Sharingan is high up on the list of things he needs to avoid. Up there with meeting too many people he used to know, it would seem, because he had been wildly under-prepared for how disconcerted he would be.

"How about I help you test it out then?" Deidara offers, and he looks way too confident for a child wanting to spar with a stranger. Itachi knows he made it so he would look unthreatening but really, he should tell Deidara to stop being such a cocky idiot.  
"You're extremely self-confident," he says instead, because he knows how brash Deidara gets when he is riled up and the sound of explosion isn't exactly what Itachi would call discreet.  
"You're saying that because I'm a kid, right?" He challenges, and Itachi is way above belittling a child. He remembers that feeling of frustration from when he had joined the Anbu, and if it hadn't been for Hatake Kakashi being another genius child vouching for him, he probably wouldn't have received as much respect as he did during his first weeks.  
"No, I'm sure you're plenty strong, you simply don't know me," Itachi replies calmly. He hopes it's enough to make Deidara drop the idea.   
It isn't.  
"Nothing beats a good fight to get to know someone."

And Itachi can't even come up with an answer quickly enough, because Deidara is running towards him, a kunai clasped in his right hand. Itachi heaves out a sigh and draws his newly acquired sword, shifting the sharp side so that it faces to the other way. He isn't about to cut some child because he thinks he can take on someone too strong for him.

Deidara goes for the blade, which greatly surprises Itachi because the kid doesn't even try to land a sneak attack. Their weapons connect, and Itachi hates how familiar the clanging sound is. He despises everything about fighting, from the blood spurting to the guilt that crushes him after he defeats his opponent, but he takes one glance at Deidara's face and it's all washed away by the kid's wide grin.  
This isn't a fight, it's a friendly spar and Itachi feels, oddly enough, serene. His grip on the hilt tightens but he isn't yet counter attacking, too focused on avoiding Deidara's charges.

The kid isn't strong so it's easy to block his blow with the blade before Itachi effortlessly pushes him away, then he quickly ducks down and kicks Deidara's left shin.  
The kid falls down on his rear, his kunai flying away from his hand, and he blinks up at Itachi with his mouth hung open.  
"So much for not being a shinobi, mmh," he says as he rubs his leg where Itachi's foot had hit. That would probably bruise, Itachi feels almost apologetic.  
"I know how to fight is all," he tries, but he knows Deidara doesn't buy it.

Itachi sheaths his sword before offering a hand to the kid who doesn't hesitate before taking it, and he helps Deidara up. There's a curious glint to Deidara's eyes as he looks over to Itachi, and as he turns away to go fetch his kunai, he sees that the kid is smiling.   
"I'm already late for the team meeting, but I really want to spar with you again, how about tomorrow, same time same place?"

Itachi stares. He keeps his face composed, but his thoughts are rushing. He considers the offer, and thinks for a few seconds more. Deidara is smart, but he is still a child, and Itachi is confident in his ability to manipulate people. Even without his Sharingan, he knows he can gain his trust, if he is careful enough.

"Why?" Itachi asks at last. He is genuinely curious to know Deidara's reasons because he doesn't think that the child has suddenly taken a liking to him.

"Because you're shady," Deidara states with a firm nod, "and crazy strong, I'll make you train me so that I'm strong enough to beat you if you're a bad guy."

Itachi is amused, and he lets his lips curl up fractionally.   
"Fine, tomorrow, here, at 10," he says, and before he can catch the look of satisfaction on Deidara's face, he uses a Shunshin to teleport away.

 

 

It's only hours later, after long minutes spent on recalling what he used to know about Deidara, that Itachi suddenly remembers what Elite Squad Deidara had been in. The Explosion Corps, a Unit directly under the orders of the Tsuchikage. Now that he thought about it, Deidara had mentioned a handful of times how he had been Oonoki's best student.

What were the odds of Deidara knowing anything, anything at all, about the Jinchuuriki's disappearance?

 

 

The next day, Itachi is in the same place at 10. He had decided that gaining a child's trust within a week would be easy enough, and he doesn't really have any other lead. Itachi also had had the chance of being very close to Uchiha Shisui, and his Kotoamatsukami. He intimately knows how it worked, and even if he had never really tried his hand a mind controlling Jutsu, he is confident in his ability to reproduce an equivalent of Shisui's Genjutsu.  
If he couldn't make Deidara trust him within a week, he'd place him under a Genjutsu that would convince the kid he could trust Itachi, and it would all turn out ok in the end.  
He hopes.

"You're there."   
Itachi looks up, and Deidara is standing a few meters away. He looks surprised, eyes wide and mouth open as he stares.  
"Yes," Itachi says.

Deidara grins, it makes him look just as young as he is and it's such an odd sight that Itachi feels surprised yet again by his carefree nature. Maybe it would be easier than he had thought to make the kid spill his secrets.

"Let's spar then," Deidara says, and Itachi nods. He puts his bag down, and he is really annoyed with the fact that he doesn't have a spare hair tie. He hasn't had the time to cut his hair, they just get _everywhere_.  
This time around, Itachi doesn't draw his blade, and Deidara doesn't reach for is weapon pouch. The kid runs in his direction, and goes for a punch to his guts. He has a nice form, Itachi muses, and his gait is well balanced for a child this young, but Itachi is much faster and he won't let Deidara land a single hit.  
It's easy enough to evade every attempts the kid makes at attacking, and Itachi notices how he grows restless and annoyed when he realises just how big the difference in strength between them is. He is full of openings. Really, it's hard for Itachi not to just kick him in the face and he reminds himself he has to hold back.   
"Stop dancing around and freaking _fight_ me," Deidara grits between clenched teeth as he goes for yet another punch, this time aimed right at Itachi's face. It brings a small smile to Itachi's lips. He really doesn't like children, but he loves Sasuke with all his heart and to some extent, Deidara's fiery eyes remind him of his younger brother's.  
Itachi complies, and right after he ducks Deidara's fist, he elbows him right in the stomach. The kid falls down on his side, arms creeping around his middle as he coughs up, face red in anger and embarrassment at being so easily defeated.

Itachi didn't think he'd have this much fun.

 

 

When Itachi arrives the next day, Deidara is already waiting for him. The kid doesn't waste any time on greetings, quickly rushes through Mudras and shoots rock bullets in Itachi's direction. It would seem that after the crushing defeat Deidara had suffered at Taijutsu, he was going for Ninjutsu this time around.

Itachi easily avoids the attack, and he doesn't hesitate before reposting with water bullets. Using Fire Release was too big of a risk. Black hair, Konoha's Taijutsu and Kenjutsu, plus a Fire Affinity would make it too easy to identify him as an Uchiha. For the time being, Itachi would only use Water Release and hope people would assume he had a Water affinity. It puts him at a disadvantage against Deidara's dual affinity for Earth and Lightning, but his chakra reserves, although small, are bigger than a child's and he knows beating Deidara only using water technique won't be all that hard.

 

In the end, they don't even spar for an hour before Deidara is completely exhausted. The kid is laying on his back, breathing hard and drenched in sweat from the exertion.   
Itachi sits down next to him and hands him his water bottle, and the kid eagerly sits up before gulping down a few sips.  
"How are you so strong?" Deidara asks as he passes the bottle back. Itachi shrugs. The child looks up at him, the sun is shining bright and Deidara squints when he lock eyes with Itachi, a grin gracing his lips. "You have a really beautiful way of fighting," he adds, and Itachi looks down at him with a frown on his face.

Beautiful hadn't really been a word often used to describe Itachi. He was more used to deadly, or ruthless, and he suddenly realises that he doesn't even know what to say.  
"It's like... Like every move has a purpose... And you're, mmh. I don't know, graceful or some shit," Deidara says, and his cheeks warm up. "I don't know how to explain, I'm bad with words. It looks like a dance, like art, when you move." 

It's Itachi's turn to feel his face slightly warm up. "You're weird," he says as he tries to collect himself.  
"It's just very different from the way the clumsy oafs of Iwa fight," Deidara retorts, and he looks embarrassed. Itachi thinks it's a bit endearing.

 

It's the fourth day that he meets up with Deidara but he isn't any closer to learning anything. Their training sessions only last about an hour, and Itachi never really gets a chance to ask questions in between a punch and jutsu.  
Of course, he has been spending the rest of his days hanging out in taverns and inns, trying to gather information from civilians and shinobi alike, but there's just nothing on the Jinchuuriki.   
He has decided that if he can't get anything from Deidara today, he'll launch the Genjutsu tomorrow. He has wasted enough time not doing anything constructive and chances are that the Gobi is dead by now.

Their spar has been over for more than thirty minutes, but Deidara doesn't look like he is going anywhere, and that gives Itachi hope. The first two days, the kid had left right after, and on the third they had only talked for a few minutes.

But now they've been chatting for quite some time, and Itachi is trying really hard to steer the conversation where he needs it to.

"So, what's your name?" Deidara suddenly cuts in, and Itachi's brain almost short-circuits.

He has to answer, and fast, because seriously just how suspicious is it to hesitate before saying your own name, but there's no way he can just tell the truth. It's too big of a risk.

"What is it to you?" Itachi asks instead, and he knows he sounds defensive but he has to buy himself some time while he comes up with some sort of nickname he knows he'll be able to react to instinctively. If there is anything more suspicious than hesitating to give one's name, it's not recognizing said name.  
"Mmh, I don't know," Deidara says, and he is beaming up at Itachi with a grin so large that it reaches his ears, "maybe so I can stop mentally referring to you as my personal graceful and pretty teacher."  
This time Itachi's brain _does_ short circuit.

 

 

It's the sixth day they meet, and by now Itachi is growing restless. He had used the Genjutsu the day before, it's light and but intricate, and Deidara hadn't noticed it, which was what Itachi had been most worried about. He was well versed in Genjutsu, and it hadn't be hard, really, to put the kid under one without using his Sharingan while in the middle of the fight.

He hadn't tried to get anything out of Deidara straight away, it would give time for the Genjutsu to strengthen so that the kid would believe he was disclosing information of his own free will.

"So, what's your name," Itachi asks, mimicking Deidara's tone from two days ago. He'll start of with basic information, it's a lot less suspicious.  
"Deidara," he answers easily as he gulps down on Itachi's water bottle. "Are you gonna give me yours this time?"  
Itachi hasn't really had the time to come up with anything convincing, but he knows he has to answer if he wants to keep Deidara as unsuspecting as possible.  
"Kuro," he ends up saying, because it'll be easy enough for Itachi to remember. Deidara eyes him for a few seconds, but he dosn't look suspicious.  
"That's an odd name," he remarks, and Itachi has to agree but he doesn't think he'll have to introduce himself to many people so 'Kuro' will just have to do for now.

They remain in silence for a few minutes, and when Itachi estimates that it's been long enough, he speaks up again.  
"You said you were in an Elite Squad," he starts, and immediately, Deidara's eyes light up with a barely concealed pride.  
"Yup, strongest squad of Iwa, we get to be trained by the best shinobi of the village," he says, and there's a smile gracing his lips. Itachi hums.  
"Who have you been trained by?"  
"The Tsuchikage himself, as well as Master Han, and Master Roshi," the kid answers, and Itachi thinks his heart skips a beat. This is going well.  
"I heard Han disappeared, you must be pretty worried."

Deidara frowns, and Itachi doesn't hesitate to let some Chakra seep through to strengthen the Genjutsu. He is too close to getting an answer not to risk it.

"He didn't disappear, Master Han wouldn't just leave. He was taken by rogue ninjas from Taki," Deidara grumbles and he looks affronted at the thought of his Teacher letting him down. "I'm gonna go get him once I'm done with these stupid missions old man Oonoki keeps on giving me," he adds, but Itachi isn't really listening any more.

The only Akatsuki member who used to be from Taki is Kakuzu, and it would make a lot of sense to send an ex-ninja from Taki to collect the Hidden Waterfall's Jinchuuriki. That was bad, really bad, because by now, the extraction of the Five-Tails should be done, and with the week Itachi had wasted in Iwa, chances were that Kakuzu was already on his way to Taki, or maybe that he had already arrived.  
Itachi needs to get going, there's no way he can get to Han in time, but maybe he won't be too late to save the Seven-Tails.

"Why... why am I telling you this?" Deidara suddenly says, and Itachi has barely enough time to think _'fuck'_ before the kid gathers a large amount of Chakra, brings his hands into a seal and whispers _'Kai'_.

Itachi dashes away and he picks up his sword in one fluid movement. Deidara scrambles up to his feet and looks at Itachi with wide eyes.  
"You... You put me under a Genjutsu!" He yells, and Itachi winces at the betrayed expression on the child's face. "Why did you want to know about Master Han? You're after him too, right?"  
"No, I know who took him, and I'm going to stop them," Itachi says, and really he tries his best to remain calm but every single outcome that rushes through his mind doesn't look bright at all. He won't kill Deidara, but he can't just replace an entire week's worth of memories without frying at least half of the kids' neurones. 

Deidara glares at him, and he reaches for a kunai in his weapon pouch. Itachi can knock him out easily, and all Deidara has is a false name and a physical description, but if all of Iwa is sent on his tail, it'll make his mission a lot harder.  
 _So much for staying in the shadows,_ he thinks.

"Is that the truth?" Deidara asks, and Itachi blinks at him.  
"Yes," he answers. It _is_ the truth, but surely even Deidara isn't naive enough to trust again a stranger who had put him under a Genjutsu.  
"Then take me with you, I want to save my Master."

 

Itachi sighs. Why do things never go the way he expects them to?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sooooo
> 
> yeah
> 
> I love Deidara, does it show? No, but really, when I was writing the plot for this fic, I kept wondering who should be Itachi's partner in crime and I hesitated for a long time, but I finally settled for Deidara, he is just too fun. I hope I managed to make him endearing for everyone.
> 
> I kept rewriting this chapter cuz I could never be satisfied with the way I wrote their interactions, so I hope you still enjoyed it.
> 
> Next chapter should be up within two weeks or so.
> 
> probably  
> OTL


	4. Nothing Ever goes According to Plan A

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> sooo I'm late again, but hey that's gonna be a recurring issue 
> 
> Kakashi finally barges in, yay
> 
> the chapters are still kind of short (~6000 words) but they will get bigger as the story progresses. Next chapter should be up within two weeks (probably)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, I've introduced Itachi as 'Kuro' in the last chapter, but keep in mind that he will only be referred to as such when the point of view is from someone who doesn't know his identity.  
> See end notes for more detail

Kakashi is tired, but what is new, right. This time, however, he is so so utterly tired that he isn't sure he'll be able to be back in Konoha in time to hand in his report, but, hey, that's not so new either. He knows he should stop taking on so many missions in such a short amount of time, his body is bound to just give up at some point, and Kakashi thinks it might be today that he finally breaks down.  
The mission hadn't even been that complicated, he just needed to act as a body guard for some figure heads of Taki while they crossed the border, and the second they had arrived in the Hidden Village, Kakashi had turned back in the direction of Konoha.  
When was the Third finally going to let him go on important missions again?  
Probably not until he was sure Kakashi wouldn't collapse, and well that was pretty wise of him because it was the fifth break Kakashi was taking, and he hadn't even left Taki yet.

Kakashi breathes in and out, tries to gather enough energy to keep going because honestly he doesn't give the lightest crap about whether or not he hands his report in time, he has a few of those lying around his flat that he needs to take care of, first, but he wants his bed, really really bad.

Fuck. The people at the mission desk are going to murder him.

 

He is about to jump onto the next tree branch when something registers. He isn't a Sensor and locating chakra is far from his speciality, but he has got a good nose, and one very good eye that he uses to look around the second he smells the ominous scent of something burning. That's when he realises that there are no sounds in the forest, no singing birds, no running boars, and that raises every mental red flag Kakashi has.  
Something is going down nearby, and it's big enough that animals left the vicinity.

Kakashi scans his surroundings with his Sharingan and it doesn't take him long to finally see where shit is happening. There is chakra floating around, all coming from the same direction: the Hidden Village of Taki.  
Kakashi sighs. Of course stuff starts happening when he leaves, and with the luck he has, he is sure that the people he had to protect can manage to get themselves killed. That wouldn't look good on his record, failing a C-Rank mission.

And so, Kakashi turns back even if his legs feel heavy, and he has to close his left eye to stop the Sharingan from siphoning too much of his energy. He is running low on Chakra, and he really hopes it's just some shinobi having fun because he doesn't want to fight when he is that exhausted. 

 

It's not some shinobi having fun. That much is clear.

Kakashi is hidden at the outskirts of the forest, and he really doesn't want to get any closer. He is a bit far to really see who is fighting, but it's definitely someone strong, someone too strong for Kakashi to take on if he isn't in the best of shapes. There's smoke everywhere, and it's a chance they are fighting on the only rocky desert around Taki, because otherwise the entire forest would have been burnt to the ground already. Plus, they are too far from the Hidden village to be involving anyone, and Kakashi has half a mind on just turning back towards Konoha and running away.

But he has learnt throughout his shinobi years that one is never too careful when it comes to missions and so, he gathers what is left of his chakra and cloaks himself as best as he can. Being an Anbu, he had had to learn how to hide his presence completely, but he isn't sure he can remain concealed for long when he is tired, and there is literally nowhere to hide in this rock desert.

He creeps closer until he has a visual on what exactly is going down, and his blood freezes in his veins. There are _children_ over there, two of them, a girl and a boy who look far too young to be outside of a village, let alone wear a Hitai-Ite. He is still far away, but he opens his left eye and with his Sharingan he can see that the blonde boy is from Iwa, and the green haired girl is from Taki.

Just his luck, two children, one of them from the place he had just left, in the middle of what seems to be a Kage-level fight happening right in front of them, and sure, if they have both have a Hitai-Ite, they are shinobi but really, they need to get out of here if they want to live because these ninjas are not messing around.

There are three adult shinobi fighting, and Kakashi studies their moves and observes their appearance carefully, trying to remember if he might know them from his trusted Bingo Book. Two of them wear long black cloaks with what seems to be a red cloud pattern, but what grabs his attention are their slashed head-bands: two rogue ninjas from Taki. One is tall, awfully tall, but he seems slow and heavy, he doesn’t appear to pose much of a threat. The other, though, is much faster and Kakashi can't help but notice just how big his chakra reserves are. Most of his face is hidden away by white cloths, but Kakashi thinks he looks somewhat familiar.  
Against them is another shinobi, because although he isn't wearing a Hitai-Ite, there's just no way he isn't one. The man is fast, precise, and even if it's two against one, he evades every single one of their attacks and returns every blow easily. He isn't tall, nor bulky, the red cloak he wears must be obstructing most of his movements, and with the way his long black hair tangles every time he moves, he doesn't make a good picture of the traditional shinobi, but there's no mistaking the way he easily glides between his two opponents as the result of long years of training.

 

Then, suddenly, the masked rogue ninja uses a Shunshin to leave his taller partner behind, and he is in front of the kids. He reaches out and grabs the girl so harshly that Kakashi is sure her wrist will bruise purple, before throwing her on his back and running away.

The blonde kid rushes through seals and tries to stop the man from leaving with a mud wall. Really, Kakashi will respect that he is even trying but the gap in power is way too big, and in a second, the man teleports to the kid's sides and punches him right in the face. There's blood pouring from the boy's nose and mouth, he looks spaced out from the force of the blow. Still, he doesn't go down, tries to recover by attacking with a Lightning jutsu but all it takes for the deserter is another Shunshin, a well placed kick to the kid's guts and he falls on the ground, passed out.

Kakashi grits his teeth. He is tired, and he knows he shouldn't intervene when he doesn't know what's happening but what kind of _asshole_ goes all out on children? And what kind of asshole doesn't jump in to help?

He glances at the other two fighting shinobi, but it's clear that the deserter is over-powered, the dark haired ninja is much stronger and after he traps the rogue shinobi in a Water Prison, he teleports to where the two kids and the masked man are. 

Kakashi creeps closer, he knows if he gets any farther he is going to get caught in the fight but he can't just leave without making sure the kids are going to be safe. 

The unaffiliated ninja stands in front of the one with the black and red cloak and he raises his sword. A tanto, Kakashi notices, and _that's_ surprising because he is sure there aren't many shinobi who uses that kind of weapon any more. The man rushes in close, it's clear he isn't aiming for a killing blow but he is precise and fast, and Kakashi watches as the blade cuts deep into the rogue ninja's arm. He drops the girl, and that's another bruise that is going to be big and blue because she falls head first into a rock.  
Still, the rogue ninja doesn't seem like he is about to give up and he conjures a clone, just as his partner gets away from the Water Prison and rushes to his side. That's three on one, and Kakashi decides it's about time he steps in.

He uncloaks himself and runs to where the blonde boy is passed out on the ground. Kakashi glances at him but doesn't stop, the kid is breathing, his chakra reserves are low but not worryingly so, he'll live and that's enough for now.  
In a matter of seconds, he is close enough to the three men to distinguish features and he easily identifies the masked rogue ninja. _Kakuzu_ , his brain supplies, he definitely wouldn't have remembered him if he hadn't done a background check on every rogue shinobi from Taki right before taking up the mission, just in case. He is an S-rank criminal, Kakashi wonders how the hell the man with the tanto isn't dead yet.

He doesn't have much time to ponder though, because said man is crouching down next to the unconscious girl and he is so focused on keeping her safe that he has a hard time fighting Kakuzu, his clone, and his partner at the same time.

Kakashi is almost close enough for a Shunshin when he sees Kakuzu's hands come up to form a Snake seal, and the earth rises to trap the red-cloaked Shinobi’s legs. He can't move, both his hands are occupied with trying to slash through the clone, and the other rogue ninja is behind him, kunai raised high as he aims for the throat.

Kakashi doesn't hesitate. He gathers more of his chakra to teleport, and suddenly he is standing in front of the deserter, his own tanto raised high as he blocks the attack, his back to the other man. Kakashi feels the hair on his nape rise up and the skin of his elbow tingles when it brushes the red cloak of the dark haired shinobi. His instincts are protesting against this proximity with an unknown ninja, but Kakashi truly hopes that saving the man’s life will be clear enough as a peace offering.

There is half a second of surprise from the three men, but it doesn't last and the deserter recovers quickly. He dashes away, and Kakashi uses that moment to turn and glance back at the man he just saved, their eyes meet and Kakashi swears his heart stops beating when he registers the sight of two twin blood red Sharingan staring at him, wide in surprise.

 

 

It takes less than a second for the situation to get out of hand when Itachi and Deidara arrive in Taki.

They had travelled for close to a week to reach the Hidden Village, those had been long days spent suffering through Deidara's reproachful glare and never ending questions, and Itachi had never regretted a choice as much as he did this one.  
He shouldn't have allowed Deidara to come with him, and that had proven to be all the more true when they had crossed the border into the country.

He had been stretching his senses, using all of his chakra to scan their surroundings, and yet he hadn't been able to feel Kakuzu until it was too late...

… And now, Deidara is bleeding out on the ground, the Nanabi is unconscious at Itachi's feet with blood pouring from her head, and he isn't sure he is going to be able to get out of this situation without anyone dead, and well, he hopes it won't be him, or Deidara.

 

Kakuzu is strong, but his partner isn't, and it hadn't been hard for Itachi to neutralize him in a Water Prison, before heading for Kakuzu to retrieve the Jinchuuriki. What he hadn't expected was for Kakuzu to know such an advanced Earth Jutsu, and in his surprise and panic, he hadn't been able to dash away in time without leaving the girl behind. 

Itachi doesn’t want to activate his Sharingan, but he is getting overpowered without it and just as Kakuzu conjures a clone, and they both rush towards him, Itachi lets the black of his eyes fade to a deep red. 

The real Kakuzu makes a run for the Jinchuuriki, while his clone goes in for a punch. Itachi raises his tanto and tries to cut him down, but suddenly he feels his Prison Jutsu giving out, and the other Akatsuki member teleports behind him. He starts to turn around, hoping to cast Tsukuyomi before the man's attack lands but before Itachi can even register what is happening, there's another shinobi who deflects his kunai.

Itachi knows that gear, it's Konoha Anbu’s, and even if he is wearing his mask, Itachi figures out who it is in a second. He is too surprised to react fast enough, and when Kakashi turns around and their eyes meet, Itachi curses everything that lives. Their Sharingan lock, pupils narrowing on one another and _that's_ going to be hard to explain if they both get out of this alive.

"You're an Uchiha?" Kakashi asks, he sounds breathless, his voice breaking over the vowels of the clan name.  
There’s no time for Itachi to answer, nor even consider what he is going to tell Kakashi. His priority is getting out of here alive, and then save the Jinchuuriki. He’ll deal with his misstep later.

Itachi takes his sword in one hand and cuts through the clone who crumbles down into stones, while he gathers chakra in his other hand and rushes through seals one-handed. One Lightning Jutsu later and his legs are free from Kakuzu's earth trap. He doesn't waste any time glancing at Kakashi even if he can feel his chakra clashing with the other Akatsuki member’s, and he heads straight for Kakuzu who is already rushing away with the Taki girl on his back.

Itachi is about to reach them when suddenly, he feels Kakashi's chakra wavering and loosing its strength, and even if he knows that saving the Seven-Tails is what matters most, he can't help but risk a glance in Kakashi's direction. There's a kunai embedded deep in his shoulder, and Kakuzu's partner is awfully close to him, fire balls gathered in his hands as he aims for Kakashi's face. That's a killing blow, and Itachi doesn't even think before he uses a Shunshin to intercept the attack with a Water Jutsu of his own. Their attacks connect, and steam rises high, but Itachi can see through it with the Sharingan and quick as lightning, he draws his tanto and slices the man's throat.

 _No casualty,_ he had said, and the rogue shinobi falls to the ground in a wet thump, his blood spurting out in large drops before it starts pooling at Itachi's feet. He looks down at the man's distorted face and before he deactivates his Sharingan, he lets the sight of his dull eyes and the red of his blood be burnt into his brain. 

Itachi looks away as he gathers his chakra to scan his surroundings, but all he can feel is Kakashi's and Deidara's faint signatures. Kakuzu got away, the Nanabi disappeared, Itachi just killed a man, and now he is going to have to deal with Kakashi.  
His patience is wearing thin.

"Who are you?"  
Itachi turns around and his eyes land on the man he had had so much respect for, his Anbu Captain and his beloved brother's teacher, but all he sees is a lost and broken teenager. Itachi realises suddenly that Kakashi isn’t a man yet in this timeline.

His mask had been torn off in his fight, and it lies in three burnt pieces next to its owner. Itachi doesn't remember ever seeing Kakashi look so young, his eyes are wide and confused, his lone Sharingan shining bright red as he looks at Itachi's face with bewilderment. "You're... You're..."  
"No one important right now, " Itachi cuts in, because really, he doesn't have any time for this Kakashi who is most likely still obsessing over the loss of his best friend.

He rushes to where Deidara is, and he can hear Kakashi scrambling up to his feet in a frenzy to follow him.  
Deidara is passed out. His face is all bloody, but he doesn't seem to be about to die and that's a relief. Still, Itachi has no idea what he should do.

He reaches in his bag and takes out bandages that he wraps quickly around Deidara's head. He doesn't have enough time to wipe away the blood, the kid will do that himself when he wakes up.  
"Look after the boy," Itachi orders as he throws some bandades to Kakashi's face.  
He barely catches it, flinching hard when he tries to raise the arm in which the kunai hit deep, and he looks at Itachi like he just grew a second head.  
"What?" Kakashi asks, and Itachi is a second away from knocking him out, but needs someone to watch over Deidara while he goes after Kakuzu.  
"I'm going to get the girl back. You stay here and protect the kid."

Kakashi blinks a few times, before he reaches for the kunai in his shoulder and takes it out with a small wince. "I'm coming with you," Kakashi states as he wraps the bandage around his wound.  
"No you're not," Itachi retorts, and really, he is having a terrible deja-vu.

Before he can add anything, he feels Deidara's Chakra waver, and a second later, the kid starts coughing up. Itachi glances down and his eyes meet Deidara's.  
"Where is that fucking asshole, I'll make his balls explode," he bites out, and if they weren’t in such dire straits, Itachi would probably think Deidara's colourful language is quite funny.  
"He ran away, I'm going after him," Itachi explains, and he is already walking away, but Deidara's hand shoots out and grabs Itachi's bloodied pant.  
"You mean _we're_ going after him, mmh," he says and really, it's impressive he even manages to get up, but Itachi notices how unsteady he is.  
"You'll just get in my way," Itachi replies, and he hears Kakashi scoff.  
"I saved your life five minutes ago," he says and Deidara's head snaps up to him, his eyes widening as if he had only just realised his presence.  
"Who the hell are you?" Deidara asks, and he is already dropping into a fighting stance but considering the fact that he is four feet tall with some blood trickling down his nose and into his mouth, he really doesn't make an imposing sight.  
"That's my question too," Kakashi shots back, his voice wavers slightly when his eyes land on Itachi, but with the next breath he seems to gather himself and he looks over to Deidara with a challenging grin. “You look weak.”  
Deidara roars, and Itachi sighs. He is surrounded by children, and he has no idea how to deal with them. "Do whatever you want, I'm getting the girl back," is all he says before he starts running.

 

 

"Fuck, my teeth hurt, this bastard knocked one out," Deidara whines, and really when is he going to stop complaining?  
"Do you ever stop wailing?" Kakashi asks and Itachi notices from the corner of his eye how Deidara's face becomes red with anger.  
"I am _not_ wailing," he snaps as he glares at the Anbu running next to him, but suddenly his foot catches on a root and he would have fallen down if not for Itachi grabbing his arm and steadying him.  
"Watch out, wouldn't want another baby tooth falling out, right?" Kakashi taunts, and Itachi has to physically hold Deidara back from jumping on the man.  
"That why you wear a mask? Got no teeth under there, you fucking piece of shit?"

Kakashi raises a brow at the kid, the curve of his smile clearly visible even under the cloth. "Weak comeback kid," he remarks, and really, Itachi wonders why he doesn't just let Deidara punch his smug face, but they have to hurry and all this catfight is doing no one a favour.  
"Will the two of you stop? There's a girl in danger," Itachi says as he lets go of Deidara's arm and picks up running.  
"Do you even knows where we're going, Uchiha?" Kakashi asks, and Itachi tsks.  
He doesn’t bother answering, but his mind buzzes with worries when he tries to come up with some sort of loophole that would explain that he possesses the Sharingan, and Itachi knows he _will_ have to explain.  
“I know where I’m going,” is all he says.

Kakashi looks like he wants to add something, but Itachi suddenly feels a familiar Chakra signature and it's out of habit that he uses the basic shinobi sign for 'danger'. The three of them stop, and the two others eye him warily. Itachi points to where the chakra is coming from, and he can distinguish between the trees a rocky part where a hole is hidden behind a few bushes.

Kakuzu had wasted quite a lot of Chakra during the fight, and he had probably been in a hurry to find a hideout where he could recover before reaching one of Akatsuki's bases. The chances of him taking the time to lay traps are small, but Itachi won't take any risk. He beckons the two younger shinobi closer.  
"He is in there, stay behind me and be stealthy."

Itachi doesn't wait for their approval before he moves closer to the entrance and activates his Sharingan. Kakashi has already seen it anyway, and over the past week, Itachi had been more than careless around Deidara. Chances are that the kid has figured him all out so Itachi doesn’t hesitate. He can’t let Kakuzu get away again.  
The second the black of his irises bleeds to red, a soft breath escapes Kakashi’s lips and Itachi doesn’t have to turn around to know that he is being stared at. Kakashi’s lone Sharingan is burning a hole though his face and Itachi clenches his teeth in anticipation.  
That’s a conversation that isn’t going to be pleasant for any of the parties involved.

 

Seconds later, the three of them jump over the bushes and enter the hole soundlessly. Kakashi is just as good as Itachi would have expected him to be at stealth, being an Anbu Captain, but he is surprised by how well Deidara is holding up. His chakra reserves are low, and he should be exhausted after running around for so long, and yet he still manages not to make a sound as they delve deeper into the cavern.  
Itachi has trained him well.

 

They don't walk for long before voices can be heard, the words clear enough to be understood with how they resonate against the cold stone walls.  
"Good job, Kakuzu, you need to bring the girl to a safe place quickly so we can begin the ritual," a voice says, and Itachi doesn't even have to analyse the Chakra signature to recognize that distinctive high tone. Stopping Kakuzu would have been easy enough, but if White Zetsu is also there, it makes everything a lot more complicated.

Itachi grits his teeth. He can't let Kakashi, and certainly not Deidara go any further. They'll get themselves killed and Itachi knows he won’t go all out if he has to watch over them. That hadn't gone over well the first time.

He turns to look at them. "You need to leave," he says in a low voice that is barely above a whisper.  
Kakashi cocks a brow and Deidara frowns. "I'm serious, you'll die," he adds, but that really doesn't seem to phase either of them and they keep on staring at him, looking entirely unimpressed with his warning.

"Look, there are two deadly S-rank missing nins down there, and I can't let you distract me while I fight them," he explains, but immediately Deidara gets that look in his eyes that Itachi has grown used to over the past two weeks of hanging around this younger version of him.  
He is about to blow up.

"I don't give a fuck what you think, I'm gonna gouge that fucker's eyes out, and then force him to tell me what he did with my Master before I blow up his nuts whether you like it or not," the kid bites out and he isn't exactly being loud, but sound spreads easily in a cavern and Itachi hears every mental alarm bells he has ringing loudly in his brain.

He barely has the time to grab Deidara's sleeve and Kakashi's wrist to drag them down to the ground before there's a large yellow fireball rushing over their heads, aimed at the ceiling.  
It lands and explodes, and the sound rings so loud in Itachi's ears that he almost doesn’t hear Kakashi's sharp exhale but he certainly doesn’t miss the way his entire body goes rigid with fright. The ceiling shatters, and there are large rocks raining down on them.

 

 

 

Kakashi can't think. He can't even breathe and he is feeling light-headed with the amount of blood rushing to his brain from how fast his heart beating. There are voices screaming in his head, and as he stares up at the man to his sides and steals a look at his Sharingan, his vision is assaulted with deep buried memories of a body crushed under stones.  
He knows he has to snap out of whatever this is, because there are stones falling down on them, and one has already landed hard on his injured shoulder, but he feels frozen. His entire body is trembling, and he really is worried that he might just pass out.

Before he can finally react, the shinobi sneaks an arm around his waist and rushes forward, grabbing the blonde kid along on the way as he gets the three of them out of the way. Kakashi blinks up at the man, and he looks as eerily calm as he has been the entire time. His long hair is full of dirt and dust, and it gets in his eyes, but Kakashi guesses that with the Sharingan, it doesn't really matter much.  
He is jostled sideways when a large rock falls right in front of them, but the man isn't phased and he dashes aside without even blinking.  
And then, there's a large boulder, bigger than any others dropping right above them and Kakashi wants to cast a Chidori, he really does but his body is seizing and he can't help but watch with wide eyes as it draws closer.

From the corner of his eye, he sees the blonde kid elbow the shinobi while trying to free his arms and he brings his hands together as he gathers what is left of his Chakra. There is a deafening explosion and the boulder disappears into dust above their heads.  
Kakashi glances from the ceiling to the blonde kid, dumbfounded, and he can't really believe his eyes when he notices that this insane child is _grinning_.  
"Yeah, take that fucking rock, that's what true art looks like!" He shouts as a laugh bubbles out of his lips.  
The shinobi is also smiling, even if minutely, and Kakashi feels the pain in his chest ease a bit. He breathes in and almost chokes on the dust that gets in his lungs, but the air rushes back to his brain and he feels like he can finally think again.

 

Kakashi is suddenly dropped down on his rear, and he scurries back to his feet before he looks around in a hurry, his Sharingan helping him analyse his surroundings.  
They are in a larger cave with four tall stone columns holding up a sturdier ceiling, lit up by a few torches on the walls, and there is just no way out. The passage they had come through has entirely collapsed, but he can worry about how he's going to get out after they survive this fight.

Kakuzu is standing only a few feet away with the Taki girl passed out behind him, and to his right is an odd individual wearing the same distinctive cloak. It's a weird mix between a man and a plant, and Kakashi isn't even sure what that thing is. All he knows is that it's clearly dangerous, because the shinobi next to him is tense and he doesn't look away from the two enemies when he whispers to them.  
"The one on the right is a scout, the two of you can probably defeat him if you remain focused," he says, and Kakashi has no choice but to trust him if he wants to live.  
The blonde kid looks annoyed, and he opens his mouth, probably to whine again, but he doesn't have the time because a second later, Kakuzu has dashed forward and he is reaching for the boy's throat.  
But the Uchiha is fast, and Kakashi hasn't even seen him reach for his tanto but in the blink of an eye, Kakuzu's arm flies away. It doesn't get cut off, though, and Kakashi stares wide eyed at the thick strings that link his shoulder to the disjointed limb. There's no blood either. Just _what_ exactly is it that they are fighting?

He doesn't get to ask, because the plant is also moving towards them and Kakashi needs to focus on his own fight. He draws his own tanto and gets ready to attack, but suddenly his enemy disappears into the ground and Kakashi can only stare at where it vanished.

"He uses Wood Release and can merge with the ground," Kakashi hears the shinobi say just as the plant reappears next to the blonde boy from Iwa. _'Wood Release?'_ Kakashi mentally echoes, _'what the hell.'_.

"How do you know about that, Mister Sharingan?" The plant asks as it avoids one of Deidara's punch.

And yeah, that is one good question and Kakashi really wants to hear the answer, but the shinobi doesn't bat an eye as he rushes past the plant and stabs Kakuzu, thrusting the rogue ninja back against a wall.

 

Kakashi's shoulder is throbbing, his chakra reserves are worryingly low, and he really needs a nap, but the plant-man is shooting wooden bullets from his palm and the blonde kid has a hard time avoiding them. He doesn't even know he has got enough chakra for a Chidori, but he doesn't have any time to think so he gathers what he's got left and dashes to the child's sides.

The jutsu takes form in his hand, the sound of a thousand birds echoes loudly throughout the cavern, and a second later he pierces the plant's skin, but it feels just like punching through mud. Kakashi draws his arm back, and a disgusting squelching sound rips through the air. There's no blood, only a hole that is quickly regenerated, and when Kakashi raises his eyes to look at this thing's face, it's smiling widely.  
"That won't work," it says and Kakashi isn't sure how he is supposed to kill that creature if his most deadly jutsu doesn't do any damage.  
"How about that, then!?"  
Kakashi glances at the kid, and with his Sharingan he can see the amount of chakra he is gathering. He barely has the time to jump back before a deafening blast makes the plant's body implode. There's a white creepy goo on the ground, and Kakashi is pretty sure he has some in his _hair_ but he can't take the time to check because suddenly, it gets swallowed by the ground. Kakashi looks around, but he can't see the creature anywhere in the cavern, there is not even a trace left of his Chakra, and he hopes it means that whatever the hell that was, it's gone for now.

Kakashi is about to go over to the Uchiha to try and help when he suddenly feel a burst of chakra so strong that his legs buckle and the breath is knocked out right out his lungs. He feels dizzy with the strength of the tide and when he looks over to the blond kid, he sees that this insane wave of chakra was the last straw for the kid who is kneeling down, his body shivering from exhaustion and shell-shock.  
Kakashi rushes to his side and he barely makes it there in time to catch him before he hits his head on the ground. He passed out.

Kakashi looks away from the kid's face to gawk at the source of that enormous chakra, and his eyes land on the Uchiha, standing tall and proud in his terrifying strength and glory, hovering over the motionless body of Kakuzu.

When Kakashi’s Sharingan lands on the missing nin, he sees the way his chakra is bursting out irregularly, the vessels running through his body going haywire as a result of the attack launched by the Uchiha, and suddenly, the man’s chakra vanishes to the last drop.

Kakashi gapes. Only a Genjutsu can mess with someone’s chakra this badly, but he had never heard of someone _dying_ because of one. He isn’t even sure how that can be possible, even with a Sharingan.  
His body shivers with fright.

 

The Uchiha seems calm and hasn’t even broke into a sweat. He mindlessly steps over the corpse of the ninja he just defeated, but very carefully reaches down for the unconscious girl. He hitches her up on his shoulder, her head gently resting on the man's small bag, before he turns around and walk back to where Kakashi is.

"Is he alright?" The shinobi asks, and Kakashi blinks a few times before he can come up with the answer. His throat feels tight and dry, and he has to remind himself to breathe before he answers.  
"Er, yes, just passed out," he says.  
The man nods. "Get back, I need to make a hole in that ceiling," he states, and when he takes in Kakashi's astounded stare, he adds "there's a building above, we'll leave through the ceiling."

Kakashi drags the unconscious kid with him towards the wall, and he can only watch as the shinobi rushes through Mudras one-handed, the other supporting the child on his back, before he shoots Water Bullet right in the middle of the ceiling. They pierce through, and Kakashi has half a mind to wonder how an Uchiha can manage to use Water Release this efficiently, but he is too focused on marvelling at the man's precision because it's not the entire ceiling that comes crashing down, only just a few rocks, clearing out a hole large enough for someone to pass through.

The shinobi leaps up so fast Kakashi almost looses track of him and he effortlessly passes through the hole. With how little Chakra Kakashi has left, he knows better than risk jumping blindly, and instead, he throws the blonde kid on his back and he walks up the wall, then onto the ceiling, focusing hard on the amount of chakra he pours in his feet and he crawls out of the hole.

Sure enough, the ceiling of the cavern had been the floor of a large building that looks like a temple, and Kakashi knows Taki has a lot of those so that really doesn't help situate where he is.

"Konoha is in that direction," the shinobi suddenly says, and Kakashi looks up to see that the man is pointing towards where Kakashi is facing. Most shinobi know what the standard Konoha Anbu uniform looks like, but that's still another piece of the puzzle that he mentally files away, and Kakashi isn't about to leave without some answers.  
"Who were these people?" He asks as he drops the blonde kid on the ground.  
"Not for you to worry about, go back to you village," the Uchiha answers, and Kakashi chuckles.  
"No, I don't think so. You're an Uchiha, but you don't have Konoha's head-band. Are you a deserter too?"

The man turns around, and Kakashi can't read him at all. There's just no emotion to be seen on his face, and for a second, Kakashi is suddenly reminded of how strong and deadly the shinobi is, but if he hasn't been killed yet, it probably means he won't be, and even if it's dumb, and extremely dangerous, Kakashi raises his eyes so stare right into the shinobi's Sharingans. He isn't afraid, and he knows he probably should be, but he can't just let a rogue Uchiha out there.  
"Come back to Konoha with me," Kakashi says, and because he is looking for it, he catches the subtle clenching of his jaw.

The shinobi doesn't answer, and Kakashi is about to add something, anything that will convince the man, but then the two red blooded Sharingan start spinning, and the world goes black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and that's that lol  
> the pov will shift a lot from this chapter onward, and I'm trying to change the way things are described based on who is seeing what, like rather detached for Itachi, and more sentimal for Kakashi who is this ball of repressed-feelings and trauma
> 
>  
> 
> As for the name thingy:
> 
> Basically, when it's from Itachi's point of view, he will be referred to as Itachi, but when other characters (especially in later chapters) are going to think about him, or call out to him, he will be referred to as 'Kuro'
> 
> I hope it makes sense, my beta-reader was a bit confused when reading chapter 3, 4, and 5, but I've made sure to be as explicit as possible in the next ones to make it easier to grasp.
> 
> There should be no problem, but if it does get confusing, don't hesitate to tell me so and I'll try to tweak a few things here and there so that it makes more sense lol


	5. Friend or Foe

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm actually on time. God bless.  
> This chapter is slightly longer, I hope you guys enjoy it ~

Kakashi wakes up feeling like shit. For a second, he thinks it's another one of those mornings where all he remembers is agreeing reluctantly to go along with Gai and his friends out to a bar and drinking burning liquor that makes him forget the entire evening and leaves him with nothing more than a crushing hungover. But usually, on those mornings, the sight that he is met with when he blearily opens his eyes is the mouldy ceiling of his flat, not Konoha's hospital's pristine one.  
He sits up in a rush and immediately feels so nauseated that he has to clasp a hand over his mouth to keep himself from throwing up. His fingers bump against the smooth tissue of his mask, and he instantly becomes utterly confused. He usually sleeps without it.

"Easy there, my friend!"A voice booms out, and Kakashi can't hold back a defeated groan. Yes, all he needs right now to make his day just that much better his Gai screaming nonsense in his ears.  
“How are you feeling?”  
 _Like death,_ he thinks, but when he notices that it’s not Gai who just spoke, but the Third Hokage standing in the corner of the room, Kakashi bites down the comment.  
“Fine,” he rasps out instead, and if he looks even half as bad as he feels, he knows it won’t convince anyone. “Why am I here?” 

Both Gai and the Hokage seem surprised by his question. “Actually,” the old man says, “we were hoping you’d be the one giving us the answer.”

Confusion overtakes Kakashi and it must show on his face, because quickly, the Hokage adds, “We received a message from you five days ago with coordinates and a request for a medical unit. They found you in a remote temple belonging to Taki, you were in a Genjutsu-induced coma.”

And then it all comes rushing back so fast that Kakashi’s headache increases tenfold and he has so many things he needs to say that he doesn’t know where to start. “I didn’t send that message, the rogue Uchiha must have been the one who did,” he blurts out and he knows he isn’t making any sense to the two other men but his brain feels slowed down and Kakashi has a hard time catching up with all the information he suddenly remembers.

“A rogue Uchiha?” Sarutobi asks, and he sounds doubtful which doesn’t surprise Kakashi in the least. The old man hadn’t just yet grown out of his habit of thinking that he knew where every single one of the Uchiha where at any given time. The suspicion surrounding the clan had recently raised.  
“Yes, after I completed my mission, I was caught in a fight between two missing nins and an Uchiha on the outskirts of Taki,” Kakashi explains, keeping his voice matter-of-fact even if he feels everything but calm.

It’s been five days. Five entire days, and Kakashi was stuck, passed out in a hospital bed, while that shinobi had fled god knows where. There’s no way Kakashi will be able to pick up a trail.

“Are you sure it was an Uchiha? Surely, you didn’t-” The Hokage questions, and Kakashi already feels annoyed enough to dare cut him off.  
“Yes, I’m positive, he had Sharingans and he killed a man with nothing more than a Genjutsu.”

That does a good job of shutting the Hokage up. He blinks a few times before he frowns, and suddenly Gai is screaming again. “How admirable that you survived against such a strong opponent!” 

Kakashi scoffs. _Yeah, about that…_ “He didn’t make any threatening move against me,” he says, and really that’s quite the understatement because that shinobi had saved Kakashi’s life at least thrice in a matter of hours, as well as the kids’. _Fuck, the kids._

“He had a child with him, a young shinobi from Iwa. Their aim was to save a girl from Taki that the two missing-nins had kidnapped,” Kakashi rushes to say, because at the time he hadn’t had the chance to really ponder on that, but seriously, what exactly had gone down?

Two S-rank missing-nins joining forces to get their hands on a child? That’s odd, and the Hokage seems to think as much.  
“An Uchiha and two missing-nins fighting over a child?” He questions, but Kakashi doesn’t have an answer and he simply nods. “Were you able to identify the missing-nins?”  
Kakashi shrugs, “They were both from Taki, and I’m pretty sure one of them was an S-rank.”  
Kakuzu was known to be a bounty hunter, it simply confirms that the girl is valuable, somehow, but it doesn’t make the situation any clearer.  
Somehow, that seems to be what interests Sarutobi.  
“An S-rank from Taki? Could you identify him for certain with a Bingo Book?”  
“No need, I gathered information on Taki’s rogue ninjas before leaving for the mission. His name was Kakuzu.”

Kakashi doesn’t expect to see the Hokage’s face lose all of its colour that fast. “Gai,” the old man calls, and there’s an urgency to his voice that Kakashi hasn’t often heard, “go to the Message Station and tell them to get Jiraiya in Konoha this instant. I don’t care if they need to send all available Jounins on a man-hunt, he needs to be here as fast as possible.”  
Gai must sense the Hokage’s agitation, because he surprisingly enough doesn’t waste any time to spout nonsense and he is out of the window a second later.

“Kakashi, do you remember anything at all that would seem important to mention?” The Hokage asks as he walks away from the wall to stand right next to Kakashi’s hospital bed. His gaze is hard as steel and that prompts Kakashi to rack his brain for even the smallest detail that could be of importance.

“Err, Kakuzu’s partner was nothing out of the ordinary, I don’t think he even has his own entry in the Bingo Book, and if he does he probably wasn’t ranked higher than B. The Uchiha easily defeated him...” Kakashi trails off, and then suddenly something comes to his mind. “The Uchiha was fighting with a tanto, he wielded it well and he was probably used to-”  
“Kakuzu’s partner, what was he like?” The Hokage cuts in, and really, Kakashi is getting really annoyed with the way the old man doesn’t seem to be willing to hear any information on the Uchiha when he is clearly the bigger problem here.  
“He was tall, probably over 7 feet, but other than that he was rather bland. I don’t think he was using any distinguishable weapon, but the cloak could have easily hidden one.”  
“He was wearing a cloak?” The Hokage inquires, and really Kakashi has no idea where he is going with this.  
“Black, with what looked like red clouds, but it could have been cotton candy for all I know,” Kakashi says easily, and the glare he receives for his joke makes him regret he ever opened his mouth.

The Hokage sighs, and he rubs a wrinkled hand over his eyes. He looks much older suddenly, and Kakashi just cannot make sense of what is so dire that Hiruzen Sarutobi would lose his cool.

“What is going on?” Kakashi probes, he knows he hasn’t ever been the one Sarutobi trusts with political matters, but he really hopes that this time, the Hokage will be willing to disclose these information. All this confusion is driving him mad.  
The Hokage looks at him for a long time, as if gauging him. Finally, he sighs again before speaking up. “There have been whispers of an organisation rising in the village of Ame. They go by ‘Akatsuki’, and I sent Jiraiya to investigate. Over the past year, all he has managed to dig up on them is that they say to aim for world peace and that the members wear black cloaks with a red-cloud pattern. They just don’t leave any trace.”  
“Why should we be concerned by an organisation seeking world peace?” Kakashi asks, because he understands that if someone like Kakuzu was a member, then their goal isn’t probably as noble as it sounds but he doesn’t really see how that connects back to Konoha.  
“Because a month ago, two Akatsuki members kidnapped one of Iwa’s Jinchuuriki.”

Kakashi blinks as he takes in the new piece of information. The Jinchuuriki are what keeps the fragile world peace balanced, that would seem a bit counter-productive to steal one, but before he gets a chance to say as much, the Hokage is talking again. 

“And I think that five days ago, Akatsuki tried to get their hands on Taki’s Jinchuuriki.”

And suddenly, Kakashi understands why the Uchiha had been so determined to get the girl back. She hadn’t been just some child.

“So what, they are collecting the Bijuus?” Kakashi asks, and even if he never meddles with village matters he knows just how critical such a situation is. The Jinchuuriki are supposed to be a Village’s stronghold, its last resort in a war, but also a way to assert their power. If they get stolen, that means bad news for every single person on the planet.  
This is the kind of things that starts a war, hell, wars have begun for way less.

 

Kakashi grits his teeth. This is no laughing matter. Even one of the Legendary Sannin was involved, which meant that Konoha itself was neck-deep into this entire mess. This organisation needs to be stopped, no matter how honourable their goals sound, if they come after the Jinchuuriki, they are bound to aim for Konoha and its Nine-Tails as well.

Of course, Konoha won’t let go of their Bijuu so easily, but if they stole one from Iwa, which is one of the Great Nation, then they probably can get their hands on many more.

And just how exactly is the Uchiha linked to them? Kakashi has just woken up and he already feels worn out. He thinks he more than deserves his nap at this point.

 

 

Itachi is getting another headache, and he isn’t sure how long he can keep on holding back before he snaps at the kid and physically make him shut up.

“I just don’t get why you don’t want me to come with you,” Deidara whines again and he is _eight_ , so of course his voice is high but by now it sounds like a broken record to Itachi’s ears and his patience is thinner than ever.  
“Because you have to go back to your village,” Itachi says yet again, and he has a hard time controlling his voice.  
“I’m not going back until I have avenged my master,” Deidara states, and that’s a dumb argument because Kakuzu is dead, there is no revenge to be taken any more.  
“They’ll think you defected and you’ll become a missing-nin,” he argues, and by now he knows the kid doesn’t care, but he is running out of things to say to counter Deidara’s stubbornness.  
“You’re a missing-nin too and you don’t seem to mind all that much,” the kid retorts and Itachi just can’t deal with his lack of common sense and self-preservation.   
“Fine,” he snaps, “do what you want, but you’ll die.”

Deidara grins wide and he raises a fist to throw a punch up in the air. “You’ll protect me anyway,” he says smugly, and Itachi is too tired of the child’s antics to even bother denying it. It’s not like Itachi can really abandon the kid somewhere at this point. Deidara was too clever for his own good and Itachi really didn’t want to waste too much time on worrying about just how much information the kid had been able to piece back together.

Between Kakashi’s claim that Itachi was an Uchiha, and his Sharingan, Deidara probably believed that Itachi was a missing Konoha-nin.  
But that wasn’t the only things Deidara had most definitely figured out. Being trained by Roshi and Han, it hadn’t taken him long to realise just who exactly the girl they had saved was, and Kakuzu going after two Jinchuuriki in the span of a month couldn’t be seen as a coincidence.  
There were people gathering the Bijuu, and Deidara was aware that Itachi knew who, and why.

“So what’s our next stop? Which Jinchuuriki are we saving next?” Deidara asks eagerly. He sounds too happy for a child choosing a stranger’s quest over his village.  
“We’re not going to save a Jinchuuriki. We’re going after the organisation who steals them,” Itachi says as he picks up his bag and heads for the main gate.

They can’t stay in Taki another day. The Head of Village had been adamant on paying them back for saving their Jinchuuriki, but Itachi has no interest in that and he really wants to go before people in Taki can remember his face.  
By now, Kakashi is probably back in Konoha and awake. Itachi needs to move and not leave the smallest of trails if he doesn’t want Kakashi on his back while he goes after Kisame and Sasori.

Itachi is convinced that they haven’t joined Akatsuki yet, but he can make sure that they never do by getting to them before Nagato or Obito does. Itachi also wants to stop a few times, hear the gossip and earn money by taking out a few thugs. Their next main goal is Suna, and Itachi really hopes Deidara can learn to shut up while they travel all the way to the Wind Country. It’s quite the journey.

 

 

Deidara doesn’t learn how to shut up. He keeps whining and screaming, but at the same time he is adamant on keeping up his spars with Itachi and even if the older shinobi is getting tired of the child’s antics, he is also proud to see that the kid is determined to get stronger and bring down Akatsuki with him.

They stop often, they train a lot, and Deidara is making a lot of progress but that wasn’t exactly Itachi’s plan at all. He has been back for almost four months, and so far all he has done is running around with a child on his back. He needs to take down more Akatsuki member, and his next target is Sasori. Chances are that he hasn’t joined them yet, but Itachi can’t take those kinds of chances. He had been the one to capture the third Jinchuuriki, Gaara of the Sand, and with Kakuzu out and the Seven-Tails safe, the One-Tail is probably Akatsuki’s next goal.

“So what are we looking for, mmh?” Deidara asks as he drops his bag on the straw rug that will work as his bed for the next few weeks.  
“Have you heard of Sasori of the Red Sand?” Itachi asks before he imitates Deidara and puts his belongings on his own bed.  
“Yes, a Puppet Master from Suna who defected, right?”  
Itachi nods. “He might be with Akatsuki.”

Deidara cocks his head to the side as he studies Itachi for a few seconds. “What if he isn’t?”  
“Then we leave and move on to Kiri,” Itachi answers, and he notices that Deidara isn’t even paying attention to him any more. Such a short attention-span.

“This inn is filthy,” the kid says, his nose wrinkled in distaste, eyes taking in the dust gathered on the ground and the lack of furniture.

Itachi almost rolls his eyes, but he settles for a desperate sigh. They had been travelling with the bare minimum, no beds, little food, with rarely an occasion to get cleaned out, and now that they finally are in one of Suna’s inn, the kid still manages to complain.  
“Stop whining, you’ve got a mission to carry out,” Itachi states, and that immediately grabs the kid’s attention.  
“A mission? What kind? I am gonna fight some dudes, mmh?” Deidara asks, his eyes wide and bright.  
“You’re going to go around and ask questions to shinobi about Sasori. You will have to look like a harmless civilian child, or they might see you as a threat and attack. Suna isn’t overly trusting, nor do they like strangers.”

Deidara seems too excited by the prospect of an undercover mission, and Itachi really hopes the kid manages to calm down enough to gain people’s trust. Intel gathering aren’t the easiest of missions, still, Itachi also knows that Suna shinobi won’t trust an adult unaffiliated man, but some kid? They might let their guard down.  
“And what are you gonna do in the meantime?” Deidara asks as he takes his headband off and hides it in his bag.  
“I’ll ask civilians,” Itachi answers, and he doesn’t wait any longer before jumping through the window and heading towards the busier streets of Suna. He hopes he can find someone who will know what he is looking for.

 

 

Deidara knows he is in deep shit, and if he doesn’t get killed in the next few minutes, Kuro is the one who will end him for being so careless. 

A kunai grazes his cheek, and the pain is light but there’s a cut and blood pours out. He can taste the metallic tang of it in his mouth. Deidara takes a swift turn and hides in the shadows of a tall building. He is near the main gate, but he doesn’t think that running out of Suna with a shinobi on his tail would be very wise. What he needs to do right now is take the boy out, but Deidara isn’t even sure if he can.

The shinobi on his tail is barely older than he is, probably around twelve, but he is strong and Deidara isn’t used to fighting against ninja who use chakra the way the boy does.

Deidara crouches down, barely avoiding the hand coated in chakra that flies above his head. It cleanly cuts through some of his hair and he curses under his breath. His enemy’s hands are sharper than a kunai and Deidara knows he can’t let them even graze him.

“What business do you have with Master Sasori?” The boy asks again, but if Deidara didn’t answer the first time, he sure as hell isn’t going to do so the second time around. He grits his teeth and brings his hand into a seal. Using his hereditary exploding technique isn’t usually a good idea considering how big the attention it gathers is, but Deidara hopes that if he is loud enough, Kuro might hear the commotion and come to his help.

He doesn’t want to rely on his companion too much, he is a shinobi himself and he despises feeling like a dead weight, but he isn’t about to let his pride kill him. Deidara gathers Chakra and the wall near the silver haired boy in front of him detonates. Rumbles are sent flying and dust rises. The enemy shinobi lifts a hand to shield his eyes and Deidara uses the split second of surprise from his opponent to rush in close and grab a kunai from his weapon pouch.

He is glad that he hadn’t left it behind in the inn along with his head band. Sure, civilian children don’t wander around with shinobi weapons but his coat did a good job of hiding it and he didn’t like to go out on a mission unarmed.

Deidara clasps the weapon in his hand tighter and reaches out towards the boy’s stomach to slice his guts but the boy blocks his kunai with his own. Swiftly, his enemy gathers chakra around his hand and extends it to Deidara’s face to slash his face.

Deidara’s eyes widen as he sees fingers approaching and he knows he won’t be fast enough to dodge. He squeezes his eyes shut, his entire body tensing in apprehension of the pain to come but the blow never lands and all of a sudden he is forcefully yanked back. His eyes shoot open and his heart swells almost painfully with relief when he sees the familiar battered red cape of Kuro standing in front of him.

“I told you to be careful,” the man says without glancing back at him and Deidara feels vaguely infuriated for being chastised like a little kid but he is too grateful to really get angry.  
“I did find someone who knows about Sasori,” he shoots back, voice laced with challenge. It may not have turned out how either of them had been expecting it, but Deidara had completed his mission anyway, even if their source of intel had turned out to be a shinobi who didn’t hesitate before attacking once his Master was mentioned.

Kuro doesn’t react to the provocation, and Deidara studies his face silently. He doesn’t seem surprised, or even frustrated by the situation. His gaze is fixated on the kid in front of them and there’s something in his eyes that Deidara can’t really interpret quite right, but it seems like recognition.

“Yakushi Kabuto,” Kuro says, and Deidara cocks his head in confusion but a gasp of surprise pulls his attention away from the man and back to their enemy. 

The kid is tense, his eyes opened wide. “How do you know my name?” He asks as he gathers more chakra to his hands.  
“I know your master,” Kuro answers, and that seems obvious enough considering the reason why they were in this situation in the first place is because they are looking for someone who knows Sasori.  
“Master Sasori surely never told me about you,” the kid shoots back as he pushes his round glasses up his nose. He sounds dubious and highly on guard.  
“Sasori isn’t your Master, is he.”

At that, the kid’s guard seems to drop for a second before his body tenses up even more than before. He openly glares at the two of them and grips his kunai tighter as he slowly backs away. He suddenly looks like a cornered animal and Deidara has a hard time understanding what is going on.

“How do you know about that?” Kabuto asks between gritted teeth. Deidara glances away from the boy to stare at Kuro. The man looks calm, there’s no aggressivity in his demeanour but his eyes are shining with resentment and Deidara feels more lost than ever. He doesn’t understand the lightest thing about what is happening. He looks back and forth between his companion and the older boy, and the tension he feels in the air is just as easy to see on both of their stiff bodies.

“I’ve got a message for your Master,” Kuro says slowly. He looks like he is holding himself back, his hands are squeezed into fists and Deidara thinks that if he clenches them any harder he might start bleeding. “Tell him he should give up on his obsession with the Uchiha if he wants to live.” 

Kuro’s voice his low and heavy with the threat and Deidara feels a cold shiver of fright run up his spine. There’s an ominous and dark chakra gathering around Kuro, it’s scaring him shitless. Kabuto isn’t faring any better than him, there’s a slight tremor running through his muscles – he is shaking and sweat is gathering on his temple.

Suddenly, the silver-haired boy turns around and starts running on unsteady legs, he looks ready to faint any second and Deidara is about to rush after him but a hand on his shoulder stops him.  
“Let him go,” Kuro orders, but Deidara shrugs his hand off and glares at him. He isn’t making any sense at all.  
“Why?! He knows about Sasori! We need to capture him!” Deidara shouts back but Kuro isn’t even looking at him any more. He is walking away in the opposite direction to the one Kabuto had just gone.  
“Change of plans. I had forgotten about someone who needs to be taken care of first.”

Deidara stutters, opens his mouth, before closing it again. He sighs heavily. If he had learnt anything at all about Kuro’s personality in the past two months, it was that going against the man was purely useless because of how utterly pig-headed he could be when it was about his quest. 

He was an enigma, and Deidara was probably insane for trusting him as much as he did, but Kuro _knew_ things. He knew about the Jinchuuriki, and he was trying to protect them. That was more than anyone in Iwa had been willing to do. Most of them despised Master Han and Master Roshi, and Deidara had always resented them for it.

He hadn’t been able to put together many pieces, and Kuro was still as mysterious as the first time they had met, but Deidara knew with unwavering certainty that there was something bigger at play here, and that it somehow involved the Jinchuuriki and this mysterious organization that he and Kuro have been hunting down.

“Fine, where are we headed then?” Deidara finally asks as he trots up to Kuro’s sides. The man glances down at him with a cocked eyebrow, he looks surprised.  
“Not even going to complain this time?” He asks, and Deidara feels deeply insulted.  
“I might be young but I’m not dumb. If you say our priorities changed, then they did,” he bites back in an annoyed voice. 

Kuro chuckles, there’s a small smile on his lips and his eyes are warm. It’s very different from the expression he had worn when confronting Kabuto and Deidara almost feels dizzy with such a sudden change. An enigma he indeed was. 

“We’re going to Konoha,” Kuro states, and Deidara blinks. That was definitely the last destination he had expected. Not only was Kuro most likely a Konoha deserter, but the shinobi they had encountered when saving the Seven-Tails had been from Konoha as well. That sounded like a recipe for disaster.

Deidara sighs. He’s going to lose another tooth, isn’t he.

 

 

 

Kakashi doesn’t think he has ever felt this frustrated before. He has been spending his days alternating between completing C-rank missions and looking after Kinoe, he feels worn out down to his very bones. He isn’t used to being on his guard so constantly and it’s truly tiring. According to the Hokage, there’s something going down with Root, and Kakashi can’t help but agree. He feels like there is always someone watching him, and when he is with Kinoe, the kid looks overly tense as if he expected Kakashi to implode at any second.

He doesn’t want to doubt Kinoe. Over the years they had grown quite close since the Yukimi Incident, and Kakashi thinks of him as one of his few friends, not that he’d ever tell Kinoe. Still, the amount of time they have been spending together the past few months is suspicious and Kakashi really wants to leave Konoha and go on some week-long mission.

Ever since he had been let out of the hospital, the Third had forbidden him from taking on missions above B-ranks, saying that it was time Kakashi caught a break. He doesn’t feel like he is resting at all, though. He is always on edge and no amount of time spent meditating or pouring out his emotions over Rin and Obito’s graves is helping him calm down.

Kakashi knows why he feels so frustrated, but he can’t do anything about it. There hasn’t been a day since his mission in Taki where he hasn’t thought about the rogue Uchiha to the point where his face has been burnt in Kakashi’s memory. He has spent entire days remembering every single detail, trying to put pieces together but none of it makes any sense. He had even gone as far as to interrogate Fugaku, the head of the Uchiha clan, in order to discover if there was any Uchiha who was missing from Konoha but he had come up empty. Every single member of the clan was accounted for and there hasn’t been a rogue Uchiha since the legendary Madara deflected.

The man Kakashi had encountered could be an illegitimate child that had grown outside of Konoha, but it wouldn’t explain his knowledge of Konoha’s Kenjutsu and Taijutsu. He fought like a Konoha-nin, there was just no way around it.

What was all the more frustrating was the way the Hokage had been adamant on keeping Kakashi far away from matters related to Akatsuki. The organisation was connected to the Uchiha, somehow, and yet the Hokage refused to hear anything about the man and only discussed these kind of information with Jiraiya.

 

Kakashi sighs. He needs to stop thinking about that and start focusing on his mission. He can see Kinoe growing more restless by the second and it’s making him feel on edge. Orochimaru’s hideout is sure unsettling but Kakashi doesn’t think it’s scary enough to warrant such a reaction out of a Root member. It’s not even a complicated mission, and Kakashi wonders once more why they had sent another Anbu as his back-up to investigate Orochimaru’s former labs.

Still, he is thankful that Kinoe came with him. His Wood Release is awfully convenient when it comes to opening locked doors. Doesn’t explain why he can wield it though.

“This jutsu went extinct in Konoha ages ago,” Kakashi says absent-mindedly, but Kinoe doesn’t react much. Kakashi knows of another Mokuton user, now, but until he meets the Uchiha again, his chances of ever knowing just _how_ the plant-man was able to use it will remain a mystery.   
“It’s extremely important for the Hidden Leaf, it can harness the power of the Nine-Tails,” he adds after a few seconds of uncomfortable silence.

“So can the Sharingan,” Kinoe answers smoothly and because he is wearing his mask Kakashi can’t tell for sure but he feels that Kinoe is staring at his hidden eye. A chill runs down his spine. There’s something very wrong with Kinoe.

Feeling uneasy, Kakashi backs away and goes for the door. He leaves the room they were in and enters the next one. It is much bigger, with a high ceiling and no other source of light than two large containers. There’s fog inside and it hides the contents but they both shines brightly, emitting an eerie blue glow.

Kakashi creeps closer and reaches out a hand to touch one container. It’s cold to the touch and even through the fog he thinks he can see something slithering along the glass.

“There’s something inside,” he calls out to Kinoe as he rubs at the glass to melt the ice that had gathered on the outside.

Suddenly, he feels movement behind him and when he glances at the glass, he sees the reflected image of Kinoe rushing in, tanto raised high. Kakashi turns around just in time to see his friend lowering the blade to his face. He darts to the side, barely fast enough to evade a killing blow, and the tip of the blade catches on his shoulder, slicing along his arm. The cut isn’t too deep, still, it bleeds, but Kakashi doesn’t register the pain. All he can think about is the fact that his friend has just attacked him from behind. 

“What are you doing?” Kakashi asks slowly as he backs away. His body is so tense that he can barely move his limbs, it feels like there’s lead running through his veins and the blood rushes to his ears so loud that he swears he can hear his heart beat.

Kinoe doesn’t answer. Instead, he flings a kunai at Kakashi and it’s purely out of instinct that he reaches for his tanto and deflects the weapon.

“Kinoe!” Kakashi calls out between gritted teeth, but his friend doesn’t seem to be willing to listen to anything he has to say. He rushes in, long brown hair fluttering about as he closes the distance and clashes his sword against Kakashi’s.

It’s been more than three years since the last time they spared, and even if Kakashi still has a few inches on Kinoe, the younger boy has definitely gotten a lot stronger and when he swipes his tanto the next time, the blow is much heavier and Kakashi’s sword flies out of his hands.

He darts away, now unarmed, and tries to avoid Kinoe’s attacks as well as he can. Suddenly, he is jostled sideways when a large rod of wood collides with his left shoulder. With his Sharingan closed, Kakashi’s left side is his weak point and it seems that Kinoe intends to fight dirty. But he won’t go down so easily.

Kakashi swiftly pushes his head band up and opens his left eye, the Sharingan immediately sharpening his vision while it drains his chakra away. Kakashi focuses and locks eyes with Kinoe, intending to use a Genjutsu but the kid is well trained and he immediately shields his eyes with an arm and dashes away.

Kakashi takes in a wobbly breath and rushes for the door. The dark corridor of Orichimaru’s creepy base are cold and confusing, but Kakashi doesn’t care if he gets lost now, he needs to find some place where he can rest and think of a plan. As he takes a sharp turn to the left, Kakashi sees a small gap in which pipes are connecting the upper floors to the lower ones, so he slips into the hole and hides in the shadows of the metal rods. Kakashi squats down and takes a band-aid out of his weapon pouch before slamming it on the bleeding wound of his shoulder. He hisses in pain, but it helps him stay grounded. He needs to think.

Kinoe knows how to fight against his Sharingan. Actually, that was probably his goal along.

Kakashi sighs. He had known that sending a Root member as his back up for a mission commissioned by the Hokage was odd. Kinoe’s mission is probably to steal his Sharingan.

_‘Fuck Danzo,’_ Kakashi thinks bitterly.

Before he can decide how he is going to deal with this situation, he feels a rush of chakra to his left and darts out of his hiding spot. Wooden rods crush the pipes Kakashi had been leaning against a few seconds ealier, and he sees Kinoe rushing in.

“Why are you trying to kill me?” Kakashi asks as he slowly backs away. He doesn’t want to fight Kinoe, he needs to figure a way out of this.  
“It is my mission,” Kinoe answers in a bitter voice as he grips his tanto tighter.  
“What kind of mission sends a friend after a friend?” Kakashi shoots back, and that seems to make Kinoe pause, his grip on his weapon loosens, but he still takes another step towards Kakashi.  
“If your orders are to kill a friend, then these orders are wrong,” he adds, and Kinoe’s steps falter. 

He stops, and looks down at the ground. For a second, Kakashi thinks he has given up, but suddenly Kinoe starts running in his direction, tanto raised high.  
“Master Danzo isn’t wrong!” Kinoe shouts as he thrusts his blade towards Kakashi’s stomach.

Kakashi deflects the blade with a kunai and dashes sideways, before throwing a dozen shurikens at his friend. Kinoe blocks most of them with his sword but one lands in his thigh and his leg waver. It’s digging deep into a nerve.

“Killing a friend isn’t a mission,” Kakashi says again. There’s steel in his voice, and a hint of desperation. He doesn’t know how to convince Kinoe who grew up in the Root, worshipping Danzo and bathing in his twisted view of the world. 

Kinoe reaches for the shuriken in his thigh and wrenches it away, blood pours out but he doesn’t even wince when he starts running towards Kakashi.  
“Then why did you kill her?” Kinoe asks, and Kakashi’s blood runs cold. His entire body freezes and he almost doesn’t move fast enough to evade Kinoe’s blade.

He glances at Kinoe, their eyes locking for half a second, and his friend’s next words make his heart ache.

“Why did you kill Nohara Rin?” 

 

There’s a buzzing sound in Kakashi’s ears and he can’t hear Kinoe’s voice any more. In his mind echoes the singing of a thousand birds and for a split second, he swears his hand is wet with blood but when he glances down, all his sees is his skin, roughened up by their fight, but no dark red tainting his fingers.

He didn’t kill Rin. He couldn’t protect her, and she died because of him. But he didn’t kill her. He didn’t.

It’s a mantra he has been repeating over and over for the past three years, and it seems that every day it’s working less and less.

He didn’t kill Rin.

He didn’t kill Obito.

 

_‘But they both died because of me.’_

 

A dull pain registers and Kakashi blinks. He looks down at his arm and there’s a wooden rod creeping around him that suddenly tightens, holding him in place. He looks up at Kinoe, and his other arm is extended. Pointed wooden spears shoot out of his palm, and Kakashi tries to wriggle out of the wooden hold but it’s no use, he feels tired, his body has no strength left and even if his eyes are wide open as he stares at his friend, all he can see are two corpses of people he loved more than anything.

 

The spears are closing in and Kakashi closes his eyes. The image burnt into his brain doesn’t go away and he feels choked up.

 

Such an irony, that he would go down by the hand of a friend.

 

But the pain never comes, and Kakashi’s eyes shoot open out of reflex when he hears the loud sound of something exploding very close to his face. His ears are ringing from the blast and there’s dust everywhere. The sound reverberates against the wall of the underground lab so loudly that Kakashi can feel his teeth rattle. 

The wood that held him prisoner suddenly loosens and falls to the ground.

“Is that guy Orochimaru?” A brash voice roars, Kakashi thinks it’s a little familiar and the exploding technique doesn’t leave much space for doubt. The dust starts to clear, but before it does Kakashi searches his surroundings with his Sharingan, his heart beating wildly again.

“No,” a placid voice answers. It sounds dull, and when Kakashi whips around towards the sound, and his eyes land on the rogue Uchiha from the Taki incident, he notices that he also looks truly and entirely bored out of his mind. Kakashi’s breath catches in his throat.

The man glances at him, and once again their Sharingan lock onto one another. There’s a thousand questions swimming around Kakashi’s mind, but he knows that now is not the time nor the place and he settles on studying the two newcomers silently. The Uchiha’s hair seems longer, it rains down past his shoulders in waves or charcoal black, catching in some holes of his red cloak. The cloth is dirty and torn in so many places that it’s a wonder it hasn’t fallen apart yet.

He doesn’t seem hurt, though, and Kakashi can’t really imagine the man ever being injured, considering how irrationally strong he was. 

Kakashi glances down at the child accompanying the Uchiha, but the blonde kid isn’t looking at him, and Kakashi tears his gaze away from them to follow the boy’s line of sight. Kinoe is standing against one of the frozen container from before, a hand clutched to his shoulder. There’s a worrying amount og blood seeping through, he was probably hurt in the explosion.

“Who’s that masked brat then?” The blonde kid asks, and Kakashi hasn’t even been in his presence for more than a minute and he already feels slightly annoyed.

“You don’t get to call anyone a brat when you’re like, I don’t know, seven?” Kakashi taunts, and the boy’s face suddenly colours red.  
“Fuck you, shitface, I’m eight!” He shouts back, but then his eyes land on Kakashi for the first time and they widen comically. He points a finger at him and starts looking frantically between Kakashi and the Uchiha.  
“He’s! He’s! That one dude from before!”

The Uchiha sighs. He puts a hand on the kid’s arm and forces it down before looking at him disapprovingly. “Don’t point at someone with your finger, it’s rude,” he says, and the kid’s angry blush darkens further.   
His mouth opens, and Kakashi can already hear the high-pitched complaints that are about to spill out but before the kid can whine, a wooden spike slices the air between Kakashi and the Uchiha, lodging itself deeply into the wall so hard that it cracks.

Kakashi’s head wipes back towards Kinoe. He is breathing heavily, and the blood trickling down his arm is dropping to the ground into a large pool of dark liquid. The metallic scent makes Kakashi’s heart clench.

“I’ll complete my mission,” he breathes out, but his voice is weak and his legs look unsteady.

Kakashi grits his teeth. There’s too much going on at once, and he can’t think clearly. He can’t just let the two of them leave, he has questions, but helping Kinoe is his priority.

“What do we do? Kill them?” The blonde kid whispers, barely loud enough for Kakashi to hear, but he does and once the words register they send a cold feeling plummeting down Kakashi’s stomach.

It should be obvious, really, that these two are foes, but the fact that they saved his life remains and Kakashi had hoped that somehow he could convince them to follow him back to Konoha to have a nice little chat. For the time being, however, they don’t seem to be on the same side, and Kakashi will always prioritize his friends.

The next second, Kakashi is turning away from them, slowly backing away towards Kinoe, but suddenly there’s a loud crashing sound and the room is plunged into darkness. He whirls around quickly, his Sharingan allowing him to discern the shapes well enough to see that the large frozen container that emitted a blue light was now broken, water flowing out and wetting Kakashi’s toes.

There’s a large mass slithering out of it and Kakashi’s heart stops when he sees that it’s a large snake, a very, very large snake whose open mouth is raining down on Kinoe who seems to have lost consciousness, most likely due to blood loss..

 

He gathers his Chakra, aiming for a Shunshin, but the Uchiha is faster than him and in a blink, his tanto slashes through the snake and the head falls down into the water. The man then leans down to Kinoe and creeps an arm around his middle before dashing away towards Kakashi.

He quickly forms a few seals and breathes a thin trickle of fire down onto the discarded wood of Kinoe’s previous attacks, basking the room in a faint orange glow. The blonde kid runs up to them as well, crouching down to peer at Kinoe’s mask when the Uchiha puts him down on the ground next to their impromptu bonfire.

“Did he use Wood Release?” He asks as he reaches out a hand towards Kinoe’s face, but before he can take the mask off, Kakashi slaps his hand away.  
“Hey! We just saved your lives _again_!” He whines, but Kakashi glares at him and he shuts up.  
“Don’t uncover an Anbu’s face,” the Uchiha says slowly, and the boy’s face turns away from Kakashi’s to the man’s. He looks sullen, his eyebrows knitted in a frown and his mouth pulled up in a pout.  
“Fine,” he says, and Kakashi looks between the two of them with growing apprehension.  
“Why are you helping us?” He asks, but before the Uchiha can answer, the sound of water gliding and slithering reaches his ears.

The three of them turn towards the sound as one and suddenly the snake rises from the water. Now that the room is lit, Kakashi can see just how big it is, but it’s not what makes him blink in confusion. Its body seems to be made out of smaller snakes that intertwine conjointly as they piece back it’s formerly sliced body together, and dark hair is growing out of its head. It’s a horrifying sight, and Kakashi doesn’t think he has ever seen a snake this ugly.

“Didn’t you just kill that thing?” The kid asks in a voice heavy with disbelief.  
“It’s one of Orochimaru’s experiment, it won’t go down so easily,” the Uchiha replies easily, seemingly unfazed by the appearance of the monster before them.

Without adding anything else, the man draws his tanto once more and raises it in front of him as the snake charges again. Kakashi feels the man gather his chakra and he pours it into his blade without blinking. Yet another very high level technique originated from Konoha.

The Uchiha darts forward to meet the snake head on and easily evades its fangs as he slips away before cutting deep into the creature’s body once more in a wide arc. There’s a sizzling sound when the blade meets the smaller snakes that compose the larger body and Kakashi sees that they are getting burnt by the weapon. The head is sent flying at Kakashi’s feet and he studies it with wide eyes as blood pours out.

Without missing a beat, the Uchiha forms seals rapidly and aims a Fire Jutsu at the unmoving head. The room is eerily silent as the flames crackle and burn down mercilessly the remains of the snake.

The blonde kid suddenly moves from his crouching position next to Kinoe and runs to the man’s sides. He glances at the rest of the body laying still, the water reddening from the creature’s blood. Kakashi glances at Kinoe, but he is still unmoving, so he slowly walks up to the two other ninja and stares at the snake as well.

The water around the monster suddenly starts to fume and Kakashi inadvertently breathes in. He immediately cringes back and clasps a hand on his clothed mouth and nose and sees the Uchiha do the same.  
“It’s poisonous,” the man breathes out through his fingers and he quickly yanks the blonde kid back.

The three of them dash back next to the bonfire where Kinoe lays, but Kakashi can already feel his movements grow sluggish. He inhaled too much of the poison. The fumes start to rise up and spread out into the lab, so Kakashi doesn’t waste any second and he crouches down to grab Kinoe and he hitches him up on his shoulders.

Thank god the kid was light.

He quickly dashes away towards the door and he can hear the water splashing behind him as the two shinobi do the same.

They flee the infected room and run up the spiralling corridors until they reach a room higher up, close to the entrance that Kakashi had gone through when entering the hideout. They are far enough that the poison won’t reach them any more, but Kakashi’s legs start to feel really unsteady, and he knows that it won’t matter much whether he breathes in more of the fumes or not.

Suddenly, there’s a heavy thud and Kakashi glances back to see that the blonde kid had collapsed. His breathing is heavy and unsteady, and he slowly curls into a ball, arms creeping around his torso. Kakashi can feel his own lungs starting to burn.

“I think I inhaled too much of that shit,” the kid breathes out as sweat gathers on his forehead.

The Uchiha glances back and forth between Kakashi and the boy sprawled out on the ground. The man’s own breathing seems to come out more shallow than what a small run calls for. Looks like the three of them had ‘inhaled too much of that shit’.

The Uchiha crouches down and heaves the boy up on his back before he picks up running. Kakashi takes in a small breath that sets his lungs ablaze, hitches Konoe up his shoulders a bit more and rushes after the man.

Seconds later, light from the outside comes pouring in and the four of them make it out of the lab through the round passageway leading to the forest.

 

The pure air of Konoha’s lush woods doesn’t make Kakashi’s breathing any easier, but at least he feels less anxious than when he was trapped down in Orochimaru’s labs. He gently lays Kinoe down against a tree and watches from the corner of his eye the Uchiha do the same with the blonde kid.

Kakashi is about to take a step towards the two of them when suddenly his legs give out and he falls head first into the grass. His muscles start tensing up randomly and he feels his entire body heating up. He scrunches his eyes shut at the intense onslaught of pain in his lungs and he curls up reflexively, a hand clutched around his throat.

He vaguely hears footsteps coming closer and the sound of rustling registers. Kakashi forces his eyes open and he sees the Uchiha crouched down next to Kinoe, his hands rummaging through the boy’s pouch. Kakashi wants to tell him off, to shout at him to back away from his friend but his throat feels dry and hot at the same time and only a pained groan makes it out of his lips.

But to his surprise, the man doesn’t harm his friend, instead his applies a few band-aids to Kinoe’s shoulder and although they immediately become stained in blood, they would reduce the blood flow enough for now. Then, he stands up and slowly walks up to Kakashi on unsteady legs. He leans down, and for a second Kakashi feels his body grow taut in fear of receiving a killing blow but the Uchiha simply drops something next to Kakashi’s head and rushes away towards the blonde kid, something clasped tightly in his hand.

Kakashi turns his head, and on the grass lies a single glass syringe filled with a reddish liquid. _‘It’s antidote,’_ Kakashi blearily realises, and suddenly it seems obvious why Kinoe would have some. Of course Danzo wasn’t going to send him to one of Orochimaru’s hideout with a mission to kill Kakashi without the necessary gait. Better safe than sorry, and for the first and most definitely last time, Kakashi is thankful that Danzo is such a paranoid cunt.

He slowly extends his arm to grab the syringe, gritting his teeth at the ache in his entire body, and stabs it to his arm without hesitation. It could be poison for all he knows, but considering that he is going to die if he doesn’t even give it a try, he doesn’t wait before pressing down and letting the fluid enter his blood streams. 

Slowly, his muscles stop cramping, and even if the pain in his lungs isn’t going away and his body is still overly warm, Kakashi can feel himself start to relax.

“K-Kuro?” A wobbly voice calls out, and Kakashi has hardly enough strength to move just yet but he still pushes up on his elbow and turns his head.

The blonde kid is sitting up with a syringe still buried in his shoulder, and Kakashi can’t help but feel thankful when he notices that the colour is back to his face. The antidote worked on him too.

 

But then his blood runs cold.

Next to the kid, the Uchiha is laying unmoving on the grass, his long black hair slowly being swayed by the wind.

“Kuro? Kuro! Come on, don’t die on me now!” The boy cries out, hands shaking the inert figure.

Kakashi hears more than his feels his heart, it’s beating loud in his ears and drowning out the sobs of the child.

“Did the antidote not work?” Kakashi rasps out as he slowly gets up, his entire body trembling from the exertion. The kid’s head whips around to glare at him. There are tears in his eyes, but they don’t do anything to cool down the fire in them.

“Didn’t work? You fucking idiot there were only two syringes!”

 

Kakashi grows entirely still. His mouth opens, and closes again, he looks from the kid’s tear-stained face to the motionless Uchiha, and back at Kinoe’s pouch.

It’s empty.

Kakashi doesn’t understand. Well, he does understand that there were two syringes, because the pouch is empty and that seems quite obvious because there were three poisoned shinobi, and now there’s only one.

What he doesn’t understand is why it’s the Uchiha who’s dying and not him. That would have been the obvious choice, were he in the Uchiha’s stead, he wouldn’t even have hesitated before saving his own life, and then his friend’s.

And yet, here they were, Kinoe breathing, his shoulder patched up, the blonde boy crying, the poison out of his system, and Kakashi standing inhumanly still as thoughts rushed to his mind.

There’s someone out of the four of them who is dying, and it’s the strongest shinobi Kakashi has ever met.

It’s not fair. He grits his teeth and starts moving.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, that's that.  
> lol
> 
> I don't know when the next chapter will be up. It's not even halfway done yet, so it might take me a lot longer especially considering that my finals are in two weeks... Yeah.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed it, please remember to leave one little comment if you did, it'll make my day for sure.


	6. Luck or Pluck

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, exams aren't technically over yet but who cares, the chapter was ready so here goes
> 
> plot is finally kicking in  
> hope you enjoy~

Consciousness slowly drifts back to Itachi, still, he doesn’t open his eyes just yet. His body feels oddly heavy, but after inhaling so much of the venomous gas it was to be expected. He had been trained to withstand all kinds of deadly substances, especially the ones Orochimaru had come up with all thanks to Sasori, who had himself dabbled in poisons and worked on the notes Orochimaru had left behind after fleeing from Akatsuki.

Itachi had thought he would be able to survive the poison, but passing out hadn’t exactly been something he had expected. Still, he was alive, and that was a win for him.

What wasn’t a win was the feeling of a mattress against his back, and not the grass of the forest he had passed out in. He couldn’t tell how long he had spent being asleep, but it had been long enough for someone to move him, and considering how close to Konoha they had happened to be, he was most definitely in the Hidden Leaf Village.

That was wrong, oh so terribly wrong, for him to be back here before he had managed to finish his mission. He needed to slip out before the Third Hokage interrogated him or Deidara.

_Deidara._

Itachi can’t feel the kid’s chakra nearby, and he can only hope that he has somehow managed to escape. He doesn’t think that the Hokage would be against using force when interrogating potential enemies, especially if Kakashi has reported that the two of them are involved with Akatsuki.

Itachi believes in Deidara, he knows the kid wouldn’t betray him, and he doesn’t even hold capital information, only guesses, but ninja can be ruthless even with an eight-year-old child. He has to find Deidara and leave before the situation gets even more out of hand.

 

Itachi slowly opens his eyes to a dark room. There are no windows, and the only furniture he can see seems to be the bed he is lying in. His hands are restrained by metal clasps tightly cuffed to the bed, but he can get away with a jutsu.

Itachi tries to gather chakra, yet he comes up entirely empty, and his heart starts to beat faster. He glances down to his chest, and sure enough there are rolls of parchment plastered to his torso, the intricate patterns drawn on it glowing softly in the dark before they slowly die out. These are syphoning his chakra and as long as they are on his body, he won’t be able to use even the smallest drop. Itachi tries to struggle against the metal around his wrists in a vain attempt, it won’t budge at all. 

 

He can’t get away.

His brain is going into overdrive as he tries to come up with some way of escaping, but without chakra, and his body bound, he has no means of even leaving the bed on his own. His breath is starting to come out faster and no matter how hard he tries to calm himself down, all he can focus on is the heavy feeling settling in the pit of his stomach.

He has fucked up, again, and he has no idea how he is going to get himself out of there.

 

The deadly silence of the room is suddenly broken by the sound of approaching footsteps and when Itachi tries to analyse a signature, he realises that he can’t feel the smallest wave of chakra. These seals won’t even allow him to sense anything.

The metal door is slowly pushed open, a small trickle of light illuminating the room, but before it is fully opened, Itachi closes his eyes and relaxes his body.

 

Itachi thinks he can distinguish the sound of two people entering the room and the footsteps come closer to him. He focuses on remaining motionless, but it proves to be extremely hard when a blinding light suddenly illuminates the room and hurts Itachi’s eyes behind his closed eyelids. Then there’s a shadow that blocks the light from raining down on his face, and he feels a body leaning over him, studying him closely.

“He is still out, Sir,” a voice says, it’s uncomfortably close and it takes everything Itachi has to remain relaxed and keep his eyes closed, his mind fighting with his body’s natural reactions when faced with a threat.

“No, he is pretending,” another raspy voice says. It’s further away, but the distance doesn’t hide the familiarity of the tone. Itachi’s blood runs cold. “Open your eyes, Kuro Uchiha,” the man says as he comes closer, and Itachi complies.

Above him is the mask of an Anbu Itachi doesn’t recognize, but beside him is the face of a man he will never forget.

“Hokage the Third,” Itachi says in a rough voice, his tongue is heavy and his throat is dry, it hurts to even speak but it doesn’t do anything to dwindle the fire in his eyes as he studies the old man’s silhouette clothed in the pristine white and red robes that better men before him have worn.

“I see you know who I am,” the man says with a small smile that Itachi definitely doesn’t trust one second. “This will make things easier.”

Itachi cocks a brow but remains silent. His entire body is tense. He feels utterly helpless and vulnerable which doesn’t make it easy to appear relaxed. He is sure that the Hokage must be sensing his distress.

“You are currently in one of the confinement room of Konoha’s hospital. We took the precaution of applying a few seals to ensure you wouldn’t leave before we could ask you a few questions,” the Hokage says in a gentle voice that simply astonishes Itachi.

He almost misses the way the Anbu retreats to a corner of the room before cloaking himself and disappearing from sight. Itachi doesn’t need to be able to sense Chakra to know that he is still most definitely in the room with them. There are probably a handful more Anbu lurking around. 

He is in enemy territory, surrounded, with his hands literally and figuratively tied. All he can do is silently study the Hokage as he draws a chair from a corner to settle on it. He sits straight and tall, making him seem just as imposing as he had while standing up despite his small stature. 

The aura he exults is heavy and the smile he sports doesn’t diminish his intimidating presence.

“Your little friend has been asking about you a lot, he seemed very worried,” the Hokage states calmly, and nor the words nor his tone sound threatening but it chills Itachi’s blood all the same.  
“What have you done to him?” He asks, his voice thinly laced with cold anger but the Hokage doesn’t seem the least bit worried, or offended.  
“Nothing, he is currently resting in a room. We didn’t bother with seals considering that he doesn’t seem to be willing to go anywhere without you.”

Itachi bits back a curse. If he manages to get out of Konoha alive, he’ll need to give Deidara a lecture about saving his own skin. The kid should have left the second they didn’t apply any seal to him.

“We were going to have him interrogated but Kakashi was very adamant on waiting for you to wake up. He said you saved his life not once, but thrice. Naturally, I am very curious to learn why there is a Uchiha out there who is involved with Akatsuki, but we wouldn’t want to start our relationship on rocky grounds,” the old man explains gently with yet another smile. It oddly softens his features, making him look his age even through the hard edges of his worn face.

The first thing he latches on is the repeated use of his clan’s name and it’s worrying, if expected, that they have drawn the conclusion so fast. Still, he won’t confirm nor deny the assumption, and deal with later. For now, he focuses on the matter at hand.

He can’t make sense of what the Hokage says, and for a while there are no more words exchanged, the only sound in the room being his own uneven breathing. ‘It’s too good to be true’. That’s the first coherent thought that surfaces above the background noise of his inner turmoil, but when he glances back at the Hokage, he sees that the old man is still smiling, the wrinkles around his eyes casting deep shadows on his cheeks. 

“Why?” Itachi says at last. He isn’t even sure what he is asking, but it’s the only thing that seemed to be able to make it past his lips. The Hokage, however, doesn’t seem surprised by his question, and his kind smile only widens. 

“You see, my boy, I am willing to give you a chance and trust you. From what I’ve gathered, you killed two Akatsuki members and saved the Seven-Tails. We seem to have a common goal and I wouldn’t want to make an enemy out of you when we could join forces instead,” the old man explains in a clear voice. There’s no deceit to be found on his face and he seems entirely relaxed and truthful, but Itachi cannot simply put behind him the feeling of betrayal that squeezes his heart whenever he recalls the last words he had exchanged with the Hokage in his own timeline.

But this isn’t his timeline any more. This Sarutobi hasn’t yet ordered the murder of the Uchiha. He still trusts them, he hasn’t let Danzo mess with his brain and he doesn’t even know how terrible things are about to get in Konoha. His eyes are set on the threat of Akatsuki, and that’s why he is willing to trust a complete stranger. 

“Of course, I have a few conditions. I cannot simply entrust a missing-nin with matters related to Konoha so I-”  
“I want to see Deidara,” Itachi cuts in suddenly. He won’t let himself consider the old man’s offer before he witnesses with his own two eyes that the kid is alright. It’s foolish to even entertain the idea of a pact with the Hokage, but Itachi has been running from Konoha for so long that he can’t help but see the appeal. 

Itachi wants to berate himself for hoping, yet he has been on his own for quite a while, and he longs for the feeling of belonging. He is tired of the loneliness and finding Deidara had been an unplanned but oddly welcomed situation. He doesn’t want to crave company, it makes him vulnerable, but the thought of being welcomed back in Konoha makes his heart swell in a way it hasn’t in a long time.

If Deidara is safe, and if the Hokage is being truthful when offering Itachi the chance to stay, he doesn’t think he’ll be able to refuse, no matter how unreasonable it is.

 

When Itachi glances back to the old man with his resolve strengthened, he sees that the old man is nodding towards the corner in which the Anbu had disappeared. The shinobi suddenly reappears and leaves the room without a word.

“The boy will be brought here shortly, in the meantime, let us discuss,” the Hokage offers as he studies Itachi, eyes roaming all over his body. Itachi then realises that he has been stripped of his clothes and belongings, the only thing covering his chest being the seals and his shinobi pants replaced by the white trousers of a patient’s garment. He looks utterly unthreatening, and that knowledge makes his skin crawl.

“What’s your offer?” Itachi asks, partly because he wants to gain some time while waiting to see that Deidara is indeed safe, and partly because he is surprisingly genuinely interested to hear what the Hokage has to say.  
“You know about Akatsuki,” the old man states and his firm voice leaves no room for argument. “I believe you probably know a lot more about them than we do considering you knew two of their members’ identity as well as their planned attack in Taki.”

Itachi has to tread carefully. The Hokage is a wise and quick-witted man, Itachi knows that at the first misstep, the old man will see though the cracks of his not-so-well constructed half truths. He doesn’t know the extent of the information the Hokage has on the organisation, and he will need to reveal only matters that could be found out by a spy, and not a member. The last thing he needs is having to explain how he came back in time without sounding completely insane or too dangerous to be made into an ally.

“I am also under the impression that you are a very strong shinobi whose strength could help us take down Akatsuki faster. That is why I am willing to offer you a position as an informant. You would receive Konoha’s protection and we would use your intel to terminate the organisation,” the Hokage adds, his voice monotone and too calm in a way that denotes of the iron hold he has over his emotions.

Itachi can’t tell if it’s a trap or not. It can’t _not_ be a trap, it’s too good of an offer, but the small smile on the Hokage’s face never wavers and Itachi can’t help but be baffled by the fact that he is still alive, and that they apparently haven’t harmed Deidara.

 _Yet,_ the most rational part of his brain reminds him.

“What’s in it for me? I have been managing just well on my own,” Itachi says in a cool detached voice. He doesn’t mean to offend the Hokage, but to simply state a truth that they are both aware of. Itachi doesn’t need Konoha’s protection, Konoha needs the information he has.

“Well, with our resources acting on your intel would be faster and more effective, for one,” the old man chuckles with a small shake of his head. “But I suppose this isn’t enough to convince you to help us.”

No, it’s really not enough.

His expression must say as much, because the Hokage lets out yet another warm chuckle that is at odd with what Itachi remembers of the man, before he speaks again.

“I’m willing to listen to any request you might have. Surely, a missing-nin with no resources and a child to care for must have a few needs we could answer to.” 

Itachi can see where the Hokage is going with this. He is hoping that by offering Itachi a warm bed, protection and food they might reach a consensus. Itachi doesn’t care for shelter. All he cares is creating a safe world for his brother to grow up in.

He is suddenly assaulted by an idea that seems utterly foolish, and at the same time brilliant. It’s a gamble, really, but Itachi doesn’t think he is going to be killed considering the information he has. He can risk it. Probably.

“I have a lot of information, various in nature, and not only concerning the Akatsuki,” he says slowly, carefully choosing each word that leaves his lips. His statement seems to greatly interest the Hokage whose face suddenly shifts into a considering frown.  
“Do you know of the Root Anbu who was sent with Kakashi into Orochimaru’s lab?” Itachi suddenly asks, the old man’s face frown melting into a confused expression. Before he can answer, Itachi goes on.  
“His name is Kinoe, he was sent by Danzo to assassinate Kakashi in order to retrieve his Sharingan,” he says and with the way the Hokage’s eyes widen at the information, it is most likely that Itachi spent little time being passed out. Kakashi hadn’t made a full report yet.  
“Why would Danzo give such an order?” The Hokage asks, his voice a lot more reserved and wary compared to before.  
“Have you ever seen what hides behind his bandages?” Itachi answers with a question of his own that seems to surprise the Hokage even more. It’s a dangerous game he is playing, a foreign shinobi shouldn’t know of some executive’s appearance, let alone the mission he orders.  
When the Hokage doesn’t answer, Itachi breathes out, “Sharingans.”

 

The silence that forces its way into the room after Itachi’s words is a lot heavier than before. It makes Itachi’s body shiver and his heart beat harder. He can’t backtrack any more, he might as well get to the end of his insane plan.

“I also know he tried to have you assassinated. Multiple times,” he states, and before the Hokage can even open his mouth to voice his shock, Itachi speaks up again.

He doesn’t hesitate to tell the Hokage about Danzo’s connection to Orochimaru, how the two of them were behind the inexplicable disappearances that have been happening for years. He tells the old man that these citizens were used for experiments, and that the successful ones, like Kinoe, were now used in Root.

The man’s face remains closed off. He doesn’t speak up, not even when Itachi finally tells him about the suddenly broken peace treaty with Iwa during the Third War. It had all been Danzo’s doing, because the man had only one goal: becoming the Hokage and ensuring that Konoha was the strongest and ruled over the other countries, even if he had to kill children and manipulate his friends in order to do so.

 

Once Itachi has told the Hokage everything he knows about how rotten to the core Danzo is, the silence comes back forcefully, hanging heavy in the room. It makes Itachi’s skin crawl and sweat gathers on his temples when the old man remains silent, his eyes stuck to his hands resting in his lap.

At last, he speaks, but the words are quiet, hesitant. 

“Why should I believe you? Why would you tell me this?”

Itachi is surprised to be asked these the questions instead of being killed right where he lies, but he doesn’t let it phase him and it’s with practised ease that he answers without missing a beat.

“I’m convinced you already suspected every single thing I just told you,” Itachi says in a calm voice that doesn’t betray how fast his heart his beating. “As for why, that’s is because this is my condition. Information on Akatsuki, in exchange for Danzo’s head.” 

 

More than a gamble, this is a completely dumb endeavour that Itachi knows is seconds away from biting him in the ass. But how was he supposed to hold back? How could he have not taken his chance? Stopping Danzo is just as important to him as stopping the Akatsuki. There is no point in saving the world if his brother is all alone to enjoy it, his entire clan murdered because of Danzo’s schemes.

He could have taken care of Danzo himself at some point, he is a fast and precise assassin after all, but if he could somehow get Sarutobi to handle Danzo himself, it would give Itachi more freedom. He wouldn’t be an enemy of Konoha, he could get their help with taking down Akatsuki faster and he would be closer to watch over Sasuke.

Itachi knows for a fact that Sarutobi was already aware that Danzo wanted him dead. It wouldn’t seem far fetched to acknowledge everything Itachi has said as facts if the Hokage were to look into reports from Root. Danzo has been betraying him for years in plain sight, barely hiding his traces because he believed Sarutobi to be too soft to take action.

Sarutobi is patient, and forgiving, but he isn’t soft, and Konoha’s safety as well as its prosperity have always been at the top of his agenda. If Danzo becomes a threat, head of Root or not, he would be taken down.

 

Silence stretches on for a long time. Seconds turn into minutes, and all Itachi can do is wait for the Hokage to reach a conclusion. He really hopes he isn’t going to lose his head for his brashness.

“Those are very bold accusations, and an even bolder condition,” the old man suddenly says as he stands up from the chair. The neutral tone of his voice betrays none of the emotions he is feeling which really doesn’t help Itachi’s heart in calming down.  
“I will consider your offer and verify the information you offered about Danzo. You probably understand that if I found out that these were lies, there will be no deal for you, Uchiha,” he adds as he walks up to the door, but before he opens it, the Hokage turns around to look at Itachi.

His eyes are cold and calculating, his gentle smile long morphed into a tight line of grim determination. Even without being able to sense his Chakra, Itachi feels cold all over by the pressure the man exerts, a raw strength radiating from every single pore of his deadly entity. It’s a terrifying sight and Itachi is suddenly reminded of why this man, despite his age, had been regarded as the God of Shinobi until the very end.

Another shiver racks Itachi’s body when the man glances away, all tension suddenly leaving him once he isn’t pinned under the stare of such a powerful man. Just as the Hokage is about to go for the door, it is suddenly thrown open, and it’s with amazing speed that the Hokage steps out of the way and narrowly escapes the mass of blond air that hurls itself inside the room.

“Kuro!” Deidara screams, his voice halfway between a happy shriek and a relieved cry.

The boy jumps onto the bed and flings itself at Itachi, leaving no time for the man to ready himself for the onslaught of affection he is suddenly subjected to as Deidara _hugs_ him.

“I thought you died! You’re an idiot!”

Hearing these words from a snivelling Deidara makes him feel oddly indignant considering how reckless the kid can be, and yet slightly touched to see how worried he had been. He doesn’t get to voice any complaints about the way Deidara is crushing him, because the Hokage suddenly approaches and Itachi feels his guard rise up once more.

“For the time being, I would like it if you remained in this room. There is quite the number of Anbu studying your every move, it would be useless to try to run away,” he says as his hands hover above Itachi’s wrists, and all of a sudden the manacles fall to the ground and Itachi can push himself up into a sitting position, dragging Deidara up with him.

Without another word, the Hokage leaves the room, and Itachi is left with Deidara and his thoughts in disarray. The scrolls on his chest can only be deactivated by their twin seals, so they can’t be ripped away or cut down with a Jutsu, the seal would absorb the Chakra immediately. He is effectively trapped in a room with no other option but to wait.

‘At least Deidara is safe’, he thinks as his gaze drops to the child still wrapped around his torso. A smile makes its way to Itachi lips, he would have never guessed he could be so relieved to hear Deidara’s whining voice.

The kid sniffs back a few tears and leans away for a moment, eyes stuck to Itachi’s face as he studies the older man, a frown marring his red and wet face. He looks like he is about to start scolding Itachi, and the thought makes his smile widen ever-so slightly.

Deidara’s mouth opens, and he looks ready to launch in yet another annoying tirade but his hands brush against Itachi’s back and the kid freezes. He peers curiously at Itachi face and digs his finger harshly against Itachi’s spine who cringes away on reflex, words of protest already brewing in his head but Deidara speaks up before he can.

“You’ve got a tattoo?” He asks, and Itachi’s brows knit in confusion.

Deidara moves away from Itachi to peer over his shoulder and look at the man’s naked back, forcing Itachi to turn his head to study the child’s face. His blue eyes suddenly widen and there’s a light twinkling in them as he stares for a few seconds. 

“That’s soooo cool, I’ve always wanted to get tattoos too!” He exclaims, but the words ring empty to Itachi’s ears, his body feels oddly cold and his hand is strangely heavy when he raises it above the opposite shoulder to brush his fingers against his back.

He feels the irregulars bumps of his spine, but what grabs his attention are the ridges running along his back that have most definitely never been here before.

Itachi doesn’t need to look at it to catch the pattern that runs from the nape of his neck to his lower back, swirling all over his spine.

It’s not a tattoo, it’s a seal.

Itachi swears his heart stops.

 

 

Hiruzen feels worn out to his very bones. It’s not a pleasant sensation. He would have thought that after talking with the Uchiha, he would leave the room with answers and his mind made up on whether or not he could be trusted.

Not only was he not sure if he could truly believe in the man, but he was left with a thousand questions swimming in his mind.

The Uchiha knew much more than what Hiruzen had expected him to. It could be dangerous. What was all the more worrying was how accurate these information were. The missing-nin had been right when he has stated that Hiruzen had already been suspicious of Danzo for a while.

After all he had been the one to turn a blind eye when Danzo had ordered some Root members to assassinate him. From that point onwards, he had suspected the man to have less than honest intentions, but to actually think that he had been responsible for the disappearances, as well at the failure in securing a treaty with Iwa.

These were serious accusations of a horrible betrayal that Hiruzen could not simply ignore. He had been too lenient when it had come to Danzo for a few years too many.

 

It’s with a sigh that he pushes the door to his office open, his eyes immediately landing on the two men waiting for him there, seated on the wooden chairs facing his desk.

Kakashi looks terrible. Even if he had been administered with the antidote very quickly, it would take more than just an hour for the poison to completely leave his blood streams, and the deep bags under his eyes as well as the unnatural pallor of his face are telltale signs of how exhausted he must be.

This kid needs to catch a break.

Surprisingly enough, the man seated next to Kakashi looks just as tired, if not more. Hiruzen has never seen Jiraiya so exhausted. His usually cleanly shaved beard is starting to grow long enough for him to finally look his age. The years have been kind to him, but there are wrinkles now appearing on his face, made even more visible by the sunken state of his cheeks.

Hiruzen needs to stop wearing both of them out so much.

“The Uchiha woke up,” he says as a way to start the meeting before slumping down on the chair behind his desk. The two men’s focus immediately narrows down to him.

“You should have called for me, I want to hear what he has to say,” Jiraiya says reproachfully, a forced smile on his face. Even in his current state of exhaustion, his positivity remains.

“You will eventually, for now we seem to have another issue on our hands.”

At Hiruzen’s words, Jiraiya’s smile disappears instantly to be replaced with a worried expression. Kakashi remains silent, but Hiruzen can feel his one single eye boring a hole though his skull.

“The Uchiha had very interesting things to say about Danzo,” Hiruzen states and both men’s face twist into confused frowns.

“Danzo?” Kakashi echoes, his voice dubious. It surely would sound to be an issue brought up out of nowhere for the young man who isn’t aware of the repeated assassination attempts, but Jiraiya knows and it’s to him that Hizuren directs his next sentence. 

“It would seem that he has been interfering a lot more than expected, if the Uchiha’s claims are to be believed,” Hiruzen explains, and if Kakashi’s confused expression doesn’t clear, Jiraiya’s certainly does.  
“Has he been meddling with affairs related to Ame as I feared?” Jiraiya asks, his voice filled with steel and fire. The matter of his three apprentices is still a tender subject.  
“This has yet to be confirmed,” Hiruzen dismisses before shifting his gaze to Kakashi. “The Uchiha told me that the Root member you brought back with you had been ordered to steal your Sharingan.”

Kakashi’s eye widens slightly and his gaze wavers, shifting down to his still bloodied hands resting in his lap. The Root member’s blood, most likely. The kid had been bleeding profusely from his shoulder when the young blonde boy had brought him in, Kakashi on his heels with the poisoned Uchiha on his back.

“Yes, I believed he had been sent as backup but he attacked me. I cannot say for sure if he was truly targeting the Sharingan, but it certainly looked that way,” Kakashi says, eyes stuck to his hands.

Hiruzen nods. He can’t overlook Danzo ordering a Konoha Shinobi to attack another, especially if the motive was to steal the Sharingan for himself. Once the Root boy woke up, Hiruzen would make sure to question him as well. He needed as much information as possible before he decided to proceed.

“Pardon me, but what’s the link between Kakashi’s mission, the Uchiha, and Danzo’s potential betrayal?” Jiraiya asks, cutting the chase and effectively bringing Hiruzen out of his musings.  
“The Uchiha claims Danzo is hiding Sharingans under his bandages. It would seem that the next one he wanted for his collection was Kakashi’s.”

The Hokage’s words stun the two men in silence. Jiraiya has the decency to try to hide his surprise, but Kakashi’s mouth hangs open and his eye blinks rapidly in confusion.

“This would mean that Danzo has not only tried to have me assassinated, but Kakashi as well, so that he could get _another_ Sharingan for himself,” Hiruzen further explains in a calm voice that is meant to keep the shock minimal for both men, but Kakashi’s jaw drops further down.

Jiraiya hums, a hand rising to touch his chin, fingers brushing against his growing beard. It’s a gesture he has definitely picked up from Hiruzen, and it makes the man’s chest bloom with mixed feelings. He had never noticed his student growing old so fast. It is only yet another piece of evidence of how ancient Hiruzen himself is.

“If this is true, it is a betrayal we cannot ignore,” Jiraiya said with a pensive frown. His words make Hiruzen sigh. If only that was all there was.  
“That’s no the end of the Uchiha’s claims. He says Danzo was involved in the failure of the treaty with Iwa during the Third Shinobi War,” Jiraiya’s jaw does drop this time, but he doesn’t dare interrupt Hiruzen, “he is also under the impression that Danzo is responsible for the recurring disappearances, letting Orochimaru experiment on our citizens.”

At this, Kakashi’s hanging mouth finally closes, and his eye glows with a determination Hiruzen hasn’t seen on his face in a while.  
“Kinoe,” he suddenly says, making both men shift the look at him, “the Root member who attacked me. He was probably one of the kidnapped children that Orochimaru experimented on. He can use Wood Release.”

Once the words register, Hiruzen feels a very strong and very painful headache incoming. This is so much worse than he had anticipated.

Jiraiya seems to think as much because he sighs deeply, a hand rising to rub over his tired eyes. The two of them had already discussed the possibility of Danzo being involved in dark secrets, but Hiruzen had wanted to believe that the man he had grown up with couldn’t possible had wandered so far off the right path.

He doesn’t drink often, but Hiruzen suddenly craves a cup of very strong sake.

“What are you going to do?” Jiraiya asks, and Hiruzen looks away from his worried frown to stare at the portraits of the former Hokage. His eyes land on the youthful face of Minato, and not for the first time since he had to take back the hat, he wonders what the Fourth would have done in his stead.

Hiruzen takes his decision, and it’s with a sigh that he voices it to the other two men.

“I’m going to have my most loyal Anbus look into records and check. If what the Uchiha said is true, I will have Danzo stripped of his functions, as well as his shinobi status. He will be allowed to choose between death and exile.”

His words makes a heavy silence crash into the room. It resonates louder than Hiruzen had expected, and he feels his blood run hot in his veins. A Hokage has to take drastic decisions, and he has been too kind with matters regarding Danzo. He isn’t in a place where he can allow kindness. He is a ruler, and he can’t tolerate anyone betraying him as much and as consistently as Danzo has apparently been.

Deep down, Hiruzen hopes Danzo will chose to leave Konoha and lay low. As far apart as they had grown during the last few years, the two of them had known each other since they were three feet tall, and in his own, distorted and corrupted way, Danzo only ever had Konoha’s best interests at heart.

But if he chooses to exile himself, it would leave the question of whether the Uchiha would still accept the deal. He had said he wanted Danzo’s head, but Hiruzen couldn’t simply comply to such a harsh request. He needs to be the one to make demands and hold power over the Uchiha, or he would be the submissive party in their exchanges.

He couldn’t allow that.

 

“What do we do with the Uchiha?” Kakashi suddenly asks, breaking the tense atmosphere that had settled and bringing Hiruzen out of his thoughts.  
“He is willing to cooperate if Danzo dies,” Hiruzen answers without missing a beat and Jiraiya’s face immediately slackens into a shocked frown.  
“Why offer Danzo the possibility to leave, then?” Kakashi inquires before Jiraiya can recover from his surprise.  
“Power dynamics,” Jiraiya dismisses with a wave of his hand in Kakashi’s direction, “no matter that, what in the world does the Uchiha gain by seeing Danzo die? He is a threat to Konoha, not to him.”

Hiruzen should have known that Jiraiya would immediately dive into the crack. Hiruzen doesn’t get it either. Well, he could understand that letting live a man sporting the Sharingan when he wasn’t an Uchiha was a personal offense to the entire clan, but this one Uchiha wasn’t from Konoha, he had no ties to the clan and he wouldn’t gain anything from Danzo’s death besides revenge for some distant cousins.

Hiruzen sighs.

“I’m still figuring that part out,” he admits reluctantly and Jiraiya’s mouth immediately morphs into a thin line. He should know better than to take action without taking into account all the variables, but in the end what did it matter why the Uchiha wanted Danzo dead?

If even only half of what he had said about Danzo was true, then they need to get rid of him anyway and if Hiruzen could convince the Uchiha to settle for the man’s exile instead of his death, they would have access to the Uchiha seemingly endless intel.

It still raises the question of how exactly he had gotten his hands on said information, but Hiruzen knows he won’t get to entirely piece back together the puzzle that this man is just yet. He needs to be patient, and attentive.

These are details that he could take care of later. For now, he has to either clear Danzo’s name or get rid of him. Then would come the Akatsuki. As long as Hiruzen could take advantage of the Uchiha, he would come out on top in the end.

 

 

Kakashi leaves the Hokage’s office with a bitter taste on his tongue. He has had no idea that Danzo was this rotten, and he feels suddenly glad that Sarutobi had never forced him into political matters. He is unfitted for all these secrets and betrayals. 

It had been decided that for the time being, Kinoe would be pulled out of Root and join the Anbu under Kakashi’s command as soon as he wakes up. It leaves Kakashi with nothing to do but wait for the Hokage to take care of Danzo. Once that is done and dealt with, the Uchiha will be an ally.

It makes Kakashi feel all kinds of ways that are mostly very troublesome. He still isn’t over the fact that the man had saved his life twice, before suddenly knocking him out only to reappear out of nowhere and save his life _again_.

He can’t get out of his head the sight of the man’s motionless body as he lied in the grass, the luscious green bright from the sun rays clashing terribly with the rapidly growing pallor of his face. 

Who in his right mind doesn’t take the antidote to a poison that could kill them?

Kakashi feels indebted in a way he has rarely been before and it makes him extremely uncomfortable. He feels guilty even. He remembers Deidara’s terrified face as he had dragged Kinoe to Konoha, his eyes stuck to the Uchiha’s face the entire way back.

 

Kakashi sighs. He’ll stop by the Uchiha’s room, say thanks, maybe even apologize to the kid if he isn’t too annoying, and then move on with his life. He doubts the Hokage will allow him to go on Akatsuki-related missions, and with Kinoe being entrusted to him, Kakashi won’t have the time to be distracted by the Uchiha.

Kakashi brought him to Konoha, and that somehow eases a pain in his chest that is a few years old.

He won’t allow himself to dwell too much on the fact that if Obito had survived, he would be around the man’s age. He won’t let himself wonder if he’d look like this foreign Uchiha. 

 

Kakashi breathes in deeply, and clears his mind as he exhales. He is tired, and he knows the second his back hits a mattress, he is going to sleep for next two days. He’s going to be late handing in his written report. _Again._

Kakashi takes the stairs down and walks into the left corridor, headed for the room he had dropped the unconscious Uchiha in barely two hours ago.

When he reaches the door, he takes a second to gather himself, and to breathes in deeply, the scents of the hospital barely filtered by his woollen mask. It smells of antiseptics and blood, a mix that has always put him on edge.

As he breathes out, Kakashi raises a hand to knock on the door. He doesn’t wait for an answer to step inside the room and he instantly feels ill-at-ease with the tense air hanging around their foreign guests.

The Uchiha is sitting up in his bed, back propped up against the barren wall of the room. He isn’t wearing a shirt, and Kakashi’s eye lingers for a second too long on the man’s chest partially covered in scrolls but not so much that they hide the few scars curling around his ribs and arms. It’s obvious for a Shinobi to have some, but Kakashi still feels surprised by how vulnerable it makes the Uchiha seem. That feeling is most definitely reinforced by how skinny the man is. Kakashi considers himself to be rather lean, even thin, but the Uchiha is scrawny in a way that screams barely recovered illness.

Kakashi tears his eye away from the man’s chest as last and closes the door behind him as he raises his gaze to look at the man’s face. His eyes are black, the Sharingan blocked by the scrolls, but there’s still light in them as he stares back at Kakashi, unafraid. There are a few blades of grass lost amongst the dark silky strands of the man’s hair, and Kakashi would find it funny if not for the withering glare the child seated on the chair next to the bed levels at him. 

Deidara is studying him silently with barely concealed resentment and hatred, but Kakashi can’t blame him. If he had been made prisoner in a foreign country by the guy he had saved three times, he’d be pretty pissed too.

 

Kakashi clears his throat as he leans against the door. He notices that Deidara’s chakra isn’t sealed and that the Uchiha’s hands aren’t bound. It’s a peace offering from the Hokage, but it also makes them dangerous enough that Kakashi won’t risk coming any closer.

“What the fuck do you want?” Deidara asks in a biting voice as he crosses his arms in front of his chest, the gesture as childish as it is uselessly defensive.  
“Deidara,” the Uchiha warns in a low voice, giving the kid a side along reproving glance.

Kakashi sighs. He is too tired to even rise to Deidara’s taunts and lose his temper.

“I just wanted to thank you for saving my life,” he says in a low voice, words careful and measured before he adds, “thrice.”

Deidara cocks a brow, he doesn’t seem to buy Kakashi’s words but he doesn’t really care about the kid. His gaze shift to the Uchiha to find that the man is studying him silently, face carefully blank but not cold, simply considering, before it slowly breaks into the smallest of smiles.  
It doesn’t reach all the way to the Uchiha’s eyes but it seems genuine enough and Kakashi feels his breath stutter for a second when he is struck with a sudden realisation.

The Uchiha is beautiful, in the way that only deadly things can be.

There is a hint of danger, a refined brutality to his lithe body that clashes oddly with the softness of the curve of his lips. Kakashi’s eye registers the movement of the man’s mouth, but the hint of pink that flashed between the his parted lips makes Kakashi’s brain shut down for a second and he doesn’t hear the words.

“Sorry, what?” He says, refusing to acknowledge the way his voice breaks and how his face is growing redder by the second.  
“He said ‘you’re welcome’, are you deaf now, as well as being dumb?” The kid challenges and Kakashi forgets his embarrassment to glare at Deidara.

He grits his teeth, breathes in and out to calm himself and keeps his gaze on the blonde kid instead of the Uchiha, it’s probably a terrible idea to look at him when he feels so mortified with his hormone-raging body’s reaction.  
Kakashi sighs and gives the kid a roll of his one visible eye when Deidara sticks his tongue at him. He grabs the handle of the door without turning around, not stupid enough to give either of them his back, and he steps out without another word. 

He has told them what he had come for, and he really doesn’t feel up to confronting either of them a second longer. He is tired, and he wants his bed so he is going to go back to his house and spend a long time asleep so that he doesn’t have to think about anything else and conveniently avoid mulling over his awkwardness.

 

Still, when Kakashi is finally back in his room, safely tucked under the covers of his bed, he can’t hold his mind back from wandering. He had thought that he’d fall asleep the second he lied down, but he tosses and turns, mind going from the discussion in the Hokage office, to Kinoe’s attack, and finally to the Uchiha. It’s too much information in such a short amount of time and it takes him long hours in the dark of the night to process through all of them. 

It’s quite a while later that a restless sleep finally finds him, his mind tired of over-analysing the man’s intentions and what they could mean for Konoha. 

 

He dreams of black hair and even darker eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like I should put up a slow burn tag for this, cuz I just realised how long it's probably gonna take for the ships to sail (it's gonna happen soon (probably))
> 
> I have issues with planning the content of the chapters, like there was supposed to be a heavy action scene and the appearance of some important characters but I ended up going over my set word limit (which I won't stick to any more cuz fuck it all) so I guess it'll be in the next chapter lol
> 
> next chap should be up within two weeks, it's mostly finished but no promises OTL
> 
> I hope you'll stick with me to the end lol


	7. It's all in good fun until...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A few words to remind y'all of what previously happened because I haven't updated in ages:
> 
> Itachi finds a scroll to turn back in time, he realises he hasn't gone far enough back and switches his goal to taking down Akatsuki. Along the way, he meets Deidara who decides to follow him around. They save Fu from Kakuzu and one random Akatsuki member who was barely mentioned canonically with the help of Kakashi.  
> Fast forward to when Itachi stumbled upon Kabuto and suddenly remembered how much of an ass Orochimaru is and he decides to investigate his lab near Konoha to find clues.  
> He and Deidara find Kakashi getting his ass owned by Kinoe/Tenzo/Yamato and decide to help but they get poisoned so Kakashi takes 'em to Konoha. They meet the Hokage, strike a deal with him: Danzo dead = endless info about Akatsuki.  
> Deidara sees a cool tatto on Itachi's back but it's actually a seal oh lord that sounds ominous, Kakashi dreams of Itachi cuz he's too handsome and that's where we left off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sOOOO yeah I did say it would take 2 weeks, surprise it took 4 months. I'm really sorry it took so long but I had to move out and I realised afterwards that I kinda bumped my laptop against one too many boxes and I had to get it fixed. Why is that relevant? Because I lost all I had written for this fiction so yeah I was really bummed out and frustrated that my 45k+ words that I had been working on disappeared.
> 
> I did get the notifications from the kudos/comments but faced with this huge-ass mountain of work I had to do AGAIN, I kind of procrastinated.
> 
> So yeah, that's why it's three months late.
> 
> I couldn't recover the document in which I had written the plot and my chapter-to-chapter summary so I'll have to redo all of that again. I won't be able to update within two weeks any more because I literaly forgot half of what I wanted to do so I'll have to figure that out first.
> 
>  
> 
> I hope you'll enjoy this half-baked chapter anyway, I'm not that proud of it but hey at least it's 10 000 words long so enjoy your reading.

When Kakashi wakes the next morning, it is to the frantic sound of someone pounding on his door so loudly that he fears it might break down. He barely has time to put on his ninja outfit that an entire platoon of Anbu comes crashing in his living room. A few of the higher ranked shinobis try to speak at the same time and it all comes out in a confusing mess of barely understandable words. He makes out “Danzo” and “ran away”, and Kakashi knows already that his day is going to suck.

The drowsiness brought about by a terrible night’s sleep isn’t completely out of his system when he makes it inside the Hokage’s office, but he can’t waste time being unfocused when the Hokage is so obviously stressed out. 

With the help of his most trusted Root members, Danzo has managed to get away before they could get to him, and he hadn’t forgotten to burn any piece of evidence that could have incriminated him when he disappeared. That left hundreds of Root ninjas without their Leader, and Konoha without its only way of trading information with their tentative ally, Kuro Uchiha. The man had been clear, Danzo’s head in exchange for information concerning Akatsuki so Kakashi is rightfully terrified to think about what may happen next with their half of the bargain now unable to be completed.

The Hokage is pacing, taking rapid strikes in the office without even stopping for half a second as he walks around Kakashi and Jiraiya, the Sannin sitting equally silentely. They both wear heavy frowns and all Kakashi can do is sit uncomfortably in the tense atmosphere, his brain running a mile a second to try and find a way to alleviate his own anxiety.

“So, what do we do about the Uchiha?” He finally asks, his voice overly loud in the otherwise silent room and both men’s head immediately snap up in his direction.  
“We don’t do anything about the Uchiha, finding Danzo is top priority,” the Hokage dismisses easily, but Jiraiya doesn’t seem to agree.  
“He isn’t going to accept this,” he says with a shake of his head.  
“Actually, he doesn’t seem nearly as bothered as we are,” Sarutobi answers swiftly, finally stopping his pacing to stand in front of the two of them, eyes grave.

Jiraiya falls silent as he glances at the Hokage, a pensive expression on his face as he analyses the old man’s words while Kakashi’s features remain stuck in a confused frown.

“I told him earlier that Danzo had ran away, he simply said it had to be expected and was satisfied enough with him being out of Konoha for the time being,” Sarutobi explains calmly, but his monotonous tone and distrustful gaze denotes just how exactly he feels about the Uchiha’s statement. The Hokage doesn’t believe that one second, and Kakashi doesn’t either.  
“For the time being?” Jiraiya echoes, his face disbelieving, “does he plan on coercing us into agreeing to bigger conditions once he has given us the intel we need?”

The Hokage sighs as he walks away from them to sit on his chair behind the desk. The man rubs a wrinkled hand over tired eyes before shaking his head.  
“I don’t think so. For now, I have decided to release him and prove our willingness to collaborate by providing him with housing accommodations.”

The Hokage must have lost his mind.

“What were you thinking?” Jiraiya says in a loud voice, tone not yet accusing but clearly disapproving. He rises up from his chair to stand at the old man’s desk, his arms crossed over his chest. “We don’t know who he is or where he’s from, and you’ve let him go unrestrained to roam Konoha?”  
“Jiraiya, we’re in no position to demand anything from him when we’ve let what he wanted from us slip through our fingers. We need his help if we want to take Akatsuki out,” the Hokage calmly retorts as he surveys the man towering over him.  
“I hope you’ve got your best Anbu on him at all times,” Jiraiya sighs, walking away from the desk to drop back down on the chair, a deep frown marring his features.  
“Not yet,” Sarutobi answers before sending a meaningful glance to Kakashi.

Oh no. _Oh no._

Jiraiya follows the Hokage’s eyes to stare at Kakashi as well, and Kakashi really wishes from the ground to swallow him right where he is. Maybe he should have stopped asking so forcefully to be given difficult missions because that one was definitely going to be unpleasant.

“I have currently three Anbus taking turns to keep me informed of his position at all times while never leaving him unsupervised. Kakashi I want you to follow him as well.”

Kakashi swallows down a defeated groan. The Hokage surely doesn’t need to waste _four_ Anbus on watching over one single ninja.

“Shouldn’t three be enough?” He asks in a small voice, wincing when he catches the grim line of the Hokage’s face once the words are out of his mouth.  
“I want you to _follow_ him around, not shadow him. Keep him company, make him feel welcomed in our village. It’s a different thing knowing there are people watching you from having someone stuck to your sides at all times. My Anbus can’t get close enough to ear him or register smaller gestures,” Sarutobi states, and it leaves Kakashi no room for arguing. He sighs.

Hopefully, Deidara and the Uchiha don’t spend all their time together, because Kakashi isn’t sure he’ll be able to deal with the kid for hours on end.

 

 

Itachi has been rummaging through the restricted section of the seals for an hour now, and he can’t find anything about the Time-Turning Jutsu he used. The Anbus watching him are careful and keep their distances, probably so that Itachi wouldn’t notice them, but it also means they won’t follow him into buildings and Itachi has always been very good at going unnoticed.

Accessing the restricted section had not proven to be extremely difficult, especially considering that he’s been there many times before, and that he knows every single Konoha surveillance trick. Still, if he spends any longer here, the Anbus might start to get suspicious.

Besides, he isn’t getting anywhere. 

He has searched thoroughly, but the scroll is gone, and he couldn’t find the seal on his back depicted anywhere.

He probably should have read that scroll until the end before he used it, but it had been very long, and very complicated, and he had had very very little time to act. He merely hoped that whatever that seal did to him, it wasn’t lethal because dying from a side effect at this point would just be lame.

Itachi sighs and cloaks himself, getting his breathing under control and after careful inspection, slips out of the room once he hears the next patrol leaving the corridor. He makes a swift job of leaving the restricted floor and he picks a random empty room to uncloak himself.

Within the next minute, he is out of the seal station with no one to suspect he had roamed places where he wasn’t allowed in. 

 

Shinobis stare as he walks down the main street. Civilians wouldn’t exactly pay attention to a new face, but trained Ninjas sure do. Itachi doesn’t know if the Hokage has warned every one of his men that Itachi isn’t a threat, and their thinly veiled heated glares make him feel on edge.

After taking off the chakra-muting seals, the Hokage had offered a standard shinobi equipment, minus the headband, effectively outing him as a Ninja to anyone who bothered to look for more than a second at him.

It made moving around stressful, and Itachi couldn’t even fully enjoy the simplicity of being allowed to walk in Konoha. It had been many years since he had last been able to take a stroll down the main street, surrounded by the various smells of food stalls and tea shops. 

It is a bright day, the sun casting deep shadows over the tall buildings that Itachi had grown up surrounded by. There is a hanging sense of happiness in Konoha that Itachi had never really had the time to pay any attention to. Even once the war had been over, he hadn’t been allowed any rest from missions and would rarely get to simply _walk_.

It felt good, relaxing, and it would be even more so if his presence didn’t make others feel so on edge.

 

Itachi takes a left up to the quiet road that leads to the Memorial Stone. There are less people here, mostly children and elders who enjoy the warmth of the sun.

Itachi can barely feel the presence of the Anbus following him. He can’t tell how many of them are there, and the second he loses his intense focus on their chakra signature, they fade out to mesh with the others that populate Konoha. 

There is a warmth in the city that isn’t only due to the sun shining down on the city, showering it with its rays.

There is the sound of laughter and the singing of birds, people going on about their own businesses, entirely unaware of how terrible things had gotten in a different time but Itachi will make sure that it never happens again. Seeing Konoha in its beauty and tranquillity doesn’t feel as bitter as he had expected it would be. He feels almost content to be here, it soothes a wound that is a decade old and its a powerful reminder of why exactly he has come back.

 

Itachi glances back down from the cloudless sky to stare at the Memorial Stone. It reflects the sun’s light like a pristine mirror, the ridges of the carved names casting deep shadows over the dark rock. He has never liked to spend much time around the stone, too grim of a reminder of just how _many_ people he had lost to the war, especially after Shisui’s death. 

It really had been the last straw for him, pushing him over the edge of a cliff he had been about to fall head into ever since he had joined the Anbu. The things he had done and seen there were forever engraved in his mind, but Shisui’s presence had been like a balm of soft and bright happiness that had held him together.

Once his light had been gone, Itachi simply broke into a mess of darkness.

 

He raises a hand softly, and lets his fingers brush over foreign names of people he has never even met before, until it stops on Obito Uchiha’s. He feels a shiver run down his spine, the name alone calling forth terrible memories of his time spent with Akatsuki. Itachi knows he is a heartless monster, a murderer who has decimated his own clan and tortured more people than he can count, amongst them his beloved little brother, but he isn’t Obito either. 

He doesn’t want to see the world end and in that second, he activates his Sharingan to burn the sight of the name into his memory, vowing to himself, but also to all of his precious people that he left behind to stop Obito.

 

A sudden shift in the air makes Itachi wrench his hand away from the stone as he whirls around, long hair obstructing his vision for half a second before the slouching frame of a worn Kakashi comes into view.

The young man’s eye meets his and he pales slightly, rising both hands in surrender.

“It’s just me, drop the Sharingan please,” he says and Itachi blinks, hardly aware that he even left it activated. He sighs and closes his eyes as the chakra leaves his eyes. When he opens them, the world doesn’t seem as sharp, but it is a lot more colourful and Itachi is yet again reminded of how easy it had been for him to forget what the world looked like without his Sharingan.

“You know some of these people?” Kakashi asks with a jerk of his head towards the stone, his tone is mild, probably going for a friendly chat but Itachi knows better. He had found it weird that the Hokage would only assign Anbus to watch him from afar.

Giving him a babysitter seemed a lot more like something Sarutobi would do.

“No,” Itachi lies easily. It would be too much of a giveaway if he said he used to know Konoha-nins. He needs to keep his ties to the Hidden Leaf Village as scarce as possible.

Kakashi hums as he comes closer and stands besides Itachi. He is looking down at the stone, where Itachi’s fingers had been a few seconds ago, and he knows without a doubt whose name the younger man is looking at. 

Kakashi is trying hard to keep his face neutral as he studies the one name that still haunts him to this day, but Itachi can easily catch the tight lines around his one visible eye. It’s probably an unconscious gesture but as he lifts a hand to run through his silver hair, his gloved fingers catch on his Hitai-Ite for just half a second, pressing into the metal hiding his gifted Sharingan.

For Kakashi, it is probably more of a curse.

 

Itachi sighs and steps away from the Memorial Stone, a heavy feeling in the pit of his stomach. For someone as accustomed to death as he is, he is still terrible at dealing with loss, especially other people’s and he can’t find any word of comfort to offer to Kakashi. Nothing he could say would make the pain go away, not a deeply rooted one like the one the young man buried in his heart.

 

Itachi walks away without looking back, but seconds later he can hear his own steps echoed as Kakashi joins him on his journey back to the apartment he shares with Deidara. He doesn’t bother asking his babysitter why he is here. It’s obvious enough, and with how closed off and hollow Kakashi’s face is, it’s probably better to give him a moment to himself.

 

Unfortunately, Kakashi doesn’t leave once Itachi reaches the apartment and picks up Deidara for their daily spar. He stays through the training, watching them from a close distance that sets Deidara on edge a lot more than the kid would like to admit.

He complains that the wind his blowing hair in his face, and that’s why he can land any punches, then he says the sun blinds him when he throws shurikens but through all his brashness, Itachi can see the way the kid keeps glancing back warily over his shoulder to stare not so discreetly at their guest. 

Itachi isn’t feeling as bothered as Deidara by the onlooker, but it does makes him feel more self-aware. He can’s allow to slip up in Kakashi’s presence and if he sticks to their sides this way for a while, it will hinder Itachi’s plans. He had meant to look into other parts of the Seal Station and hopefully find what the hell exactly was on his back, but that can only be done if he’s alone.

He guesses that looking into Root reports at their hidden headquarters to find the smallest of hints of where Danzo might have gone is also something he’ll have to postpone, just like his research in Orochimaru’s lab.

 

Deidara suddenly trips over his own feet with a loud yelp, crashing head first onto the ground.

“T-T-There was a root!” He cries, face red with shame and embarrassment as he struggles back to his feet, a few smudges of dirt on his face.

Kakashi snorts loud enough for both of them to hear him and Deidara whirls around, fists tightly clenched as he stomps over to the ninja.

“Whatcha laughin’ at, fuckface?” He roars, the insult forcing another snort out of Kakashi as he studies Deidara, the twinkling mirth in his one visible eye as plain as day.  
“A root? There are no trees around,” he says in a monotone voice that does a bad job of covering his obvious amusement.

Deidara blushes crimson and splutters, obviously offended and at a loss of anything to say to defend his pride, and chooses instead to grab a rock and throw it at Kakashi’s face. The man easily evades it, his eye widening dramatically, a hand splayed over his heart as if deeply hurt.

“A surprise attack! How mean!” He bemoans and Itachi doesn’t even bother holding Deidara back when the rid launches himself at Kakashi, Chakra already gathering in his palms.

He turns away from the two of them to reach one of the three wooden pillar and hide in its shadow. Seconds later, the sound of detonation reaches his ears and he sighs.

It’s going to be a long week.

 

 

 

Kakashi swears under his breath. One minute, that’s how long it had taken the Uchiha to completely disappear. Kakashi can’t find him anywhere, and he has looked in every single place he could come up with, from the dango shop to the dumpsters behind the Academy, going as far as to uncover his Sharingan to help in his search.

Kakashi had suddenly received one of Konoha’s messenger bird, the small scribbled words telling him to go to the Hokage’s office and to bring Uchiha Kuro along, and when he had looked up, he had found the road empty of the man’s presence.

He had done quite a good job of sticking to the Uchiha’s sides over the past three days, barely catching any sleep because he had tried to keep up with the man’s impossible schedule. It’s as if he simply didn’t need sleep, always up with the sun and roaming around Konoha as soon as the first rays shone upon the village.

Thankfully, Deidara mostly keeps to himself, only joining the Uchiha for their daily spars so Kakashi didn’t have to hand around the kid for too long, but staying close to the man was just nerve-wracking. He hadn’t done one single threatening move against him, mostly choosing to completely ignore his presence, but Kakashi couldn’t help but feel on edge, always awfully aware of the few seconds when their eyes briefly meet, each time expecting to be met with pools of red instead of the raven black his eye always land on.

 

Kakashi sighs deeply. The Hokage is expecting them and even if he has a tendency to be always quite late, he doesn’t think the old man will find it funny this time (not that he ever does). The message did mention to hurry.

He squints as he looks up at the sun, high above the stone face mountain. It’s almost noon, and he should have been in the Hokage’s office over an hour ago. His gaze settles on the face of the Fourth Hokage, a pin prickle of brief pain striking his heart for half a second and his jaw clenches. 

Stone is an awful choice of material to carve out Minato’s face, too cold and bland to compare to the man’s warmth and gentle personnality. Kakashi still longs for his teacher and guide’s advices, for his presence and kind words. He hasn’t yet stopped thinking about how his life could have gone if he hadn’t lost both his best friend and his mentor in such rapid succession, but wondering about this life he’ll never get to know only pains him. That’s why he avoids this mountain, just like he avoids Minato’s son. They look too much alike and Kakashi is terrified of meeting the kid’s ocean eyes.

He is about to tear his eyes away when he notices movement atop the mountain and he pushes more chakra into his Sharingan to sharpen his vision. It looks like someone is up there, but it could as well be a trick of light. Kakashi is tired, he has ran all over Konoha and he doesn’t think he has much to lose if he wastes another few minutes looking up the mountain, and a few Shunshin later, he goes from looking up at the stone faces from glancing down at the village of the Hidden Leaf in its entirety.

It comes as a complete surprise to see the Uchiha sitting there, legs dangling in the void, perfectly content to simply lounge in the sun, looking down at the bustling city of Konoha with a peaceful smile on his face.

Kakashi has half a mind set on being angry and frustrated at the man for making him waste so much of his time and energy, but the second his eyes land on him, every single word of reproach he had carefully prepared vanishes and his mind goes blank.

It's impossible that the Uchiha hasn't noticed him, he is too good of a shinobi for that, but he remains impassive, lips set in a gentle smile that Kakashi has never seen on the man's face before. He looks entirely at ease, not scared of the gigantic height looming under him, one foot lazily balancing in the precipice.

His trademark charcoal hair bristles with the strong breeze and his clothes ruffle. If the wind was only that much stronger, he could probably fall but the prospect doesn't seem to scare him in the slightest.

 

At last, he glances back, heads turning slightly so that his eyes land on Kakashi from above his shoulder. 

"Not joining me this time?" He asks, face still calm and impassive, but there’s a very faint playfulness that could also be exasperation in his voice that roots Kakashi to the spot. He hadn’t thought that his presence bothered the Uchiha, if anything, he had looked entirely unconcerned but now that Kakashi sees what he had chosen to do once left alone, he feels like he is intruding on a private moment of peacefulness that most shinobi don’t get to enjoy.

He feels a little bad.

Kakashi clears his throat and glances away, unable to formulate an answer as long as his eyes are stuck on the man.  
"That's not why I came to find you," Kakashi says but he takes a step forward anyway until he looms over the void, his eyes immediately attracted to the small houses deep down. He isn't scared of heights in the least, but the sight will forever be impressive.

He sits down next to the Uchiha in silence, keeping his legs crossed in front of him as to not tempt fate were the wind to pick up in strength.

He glances sideways at the man next to him only to find that the Uchiha isn't studying him like Kakashi would have thought him to, the way he often does, with intense and sharp eyes as if he were doubting Kakashi's friendliness.

Instead, the man is gazing up at the sky, eyes slightly squinted as he stares at the sun. Kakashi glances up as well and he is met with a breathtaking swathe of endless blue. It's a cloudless morning and the sun is shining bright, illuminating the green of Konoha's forest more than ever. How many times had he looked at the sun to check the time today and didn’t notice such a beautiful view? 

Actually, how many years had it been since he had forgotten to enjoy life? The thought brings an unpleasant wave of self awareness. He feels the way his heart is beating slightly fast than usual, he hears his deep breathing, he feels the ache in his limbs, but he also feels the warmth of the sun on his face, the way the wind caresses his face softly and the smell of nature.

"Konoha is so peaceful," the Uchiha says, breaking Kakashi’s focus.  
"Would you like it better if it wasn't?" Kakashi questions as he glances back at the man.

The Uchiha glances away from the sun to look at Kakashi's face. There is the smallest hint of a smile on his face and Kakashi feels a little light headed to be the one the man directs it to.

"No, I like it this way, it's nice," The Uchiha says, his voice only a whisper, the words almost lost in the sound of the wind.

Kakashi stares, he tries to analyse the sentence to find a hidden meaning but there doesn't seem to be any. Uchiha Kuro is probably one of the strongest shinobi Kakashi knows, he is deadly and merciless, precise and effective. Kakashi has seen him kill two men and he probably has ended a thousand more’s lives, but he also saved one helpless little girl.

In the end, as terrifying as he is, he is also no more than a man.

A kind man who takes some of his day to simply enjoy the beauty of life, as fleeting as it is. It is just as sobering as it is bewitching. Kakashi doesn't think he has ever met someone who seems as complex and yet so simple. There is no end to the secrets this man holds, but under all that raw strength and deadly beauty, there is also a twisted kind of purity that Kakashi himself hasn’t been able to retain within him.

He can’t help but wonder what it is exactly that has happened to the Uchiha for him to be the way he is, and when their eyes meet again, Kakashi suddenly feels breathless in a way he never has before. It makes his heart tighten.

 

Kakashi yanks his eyes away forcing his sight back down to look at the citizens of Konoha instead. He doesn't think he could handle looking into the Uchiha’s eyes too long. They are a weapon, but more than their deadliness, it’s their sinister beauty that makes him uncomfortable.

"The Hokage has summoned us," he mumbles, almost sad to break the moment to force them back into the reality of their lives. They are shinobi, first and foremost.

The Uchiha sighs, but stands up all the same. The smile is gone from his face and Kakashi looks at him long enough to catch the curt nod he gives him.

"I'll be on my way, then," he says in a neutral voice that is at odds with how he had looked just seconds ago but before Kakashi can mourn the loss of this vision or even say a word, the Uchiha has teleported away, leaving him alone atop the mountain.

Suddenly, the wind feels a little colder, and the sun a little less warm, and Kakashi doesn’t waste another second before he follows suit.

 

 

Itachi sighs as he lands atop the Academy, gathering enough Chakra for another Shunshin that will leave him standing in front of the Hokage’s office. He had never thought that he could be one to enjoy the wasted time in between missions but after spending three whole days doing nothing but pointless yet oddly enjoyable things, he has developed a new perspective on the matter.

He still feels uneasy that he had spent so long doing nothing productive, but it had been a welcomed change of pace to be able to enjoy life, if only for a few days. He has a goal he needs to accomplish and he will remained focus on seeing to it.

He feels slightly mellowed out, a bone-deep feeling of satisfaction at finally being able to rest and sleep at night without fearing for his life. 

But now is not the time for resting any more, and Itachi is ready to pick up his quest and even more determined to accomplish all of his objectives.

 

He stands for a few minutes in front of the Hokage’s door, giving himself a moment to gather his thoughts and be ready for anything that the cunning old man might throw at his face when the air shifts faintly, a small sparks of chakra the only indication of a newly added presence in the corridor. 

Kakashi walks up to him, avoiding his eyes on purpose as he makes a show of staring at the door very determinedly. He suddenly looks very awkward and uncomfortable with his presence, as if he hadn’t spent countless hours shadowing him and poking fun at Deidara.

 

With a shake of his head, Itachi raises a hand to knock at the door, and waits until he hears the Hokage’s voice from inside the room to open the door and step inside, Kakashi on his heels. Neither of them get to sit down and the door is barely closed before the Hokage immediately speaks up.

“Kuro, I would like to move on with the eradication of Akatsuki. We do not have Danzo, but we cannot waste more time. I have received word that a Jinchuuriki from Kumo disappeared.”

Itachi frowns. The Nibi and the Hachibi hadn’t been attacked for many years, deemed too well protected in the Land of Lighting. Obito was growing reckless, probably more frantic than before after receiving word from Zetsu that someone was hunting them.

“Kumo is too far away, we won’t make it in time to save the Jinchuuriki,” Itachi answers in a low voice, thinking hard about Obito’s plans.  
“Do you know where they might strike next?” The Hokage asks, and Itachi closes his eyes to focus.

Obito’s plans have changed, that much is obvious. He can’t possibly know which one they will be going for next, but chances are that it will be a weaker Jinchuuriki. Taking one from Kumo must have resulted in casualties for Akatsuki, or at least wounds. They won’t come for the Kyuubi or the other Kumo Jinchuuriki right away. That leaves the Ichibi, the Sanbi and the Rokubi.

Itachi suddenly opens his eyes, mind reeling from the sudden thought.

“The current Mizukage is the Sanbi, he has been put under a Genjutsu by the head of Akatsuki,” he says, and he can see both men’s eyes widen. “That puts the Jinchuuriki of the Rokubi in a very precarious position.”

Obito can come pick up the Rokubi whenever his wants, Yagura will serve the kid on a silver plate. Utakata must be around thirteen or fourteen, and with the help of the Mizukage, taking the young boy away from Kiri will be awfully easy.

The Hokage seems to think for a few seconds, eyes bright and calculating as he looks for the best course of action.

“I will send a team to Kiri. If the Genjutsu is broken, the Mizukage will make sure to protect both the Sanbi and the Rokubi, I’m sure,” the Hokage says with a glance at Itachi, one eyebrow raised as if to ask confirmation.

Itachi nods. Yagura is a powerful man, and a dedicated Mizukage. The only reason his reign ended up being seen as the worst in the history of Kiri had been because of what Obito had forced him to do through the Genjutsu. Once it was broken, the Mizukage would most definitely be able to protect the Bijuus.

“Then it’s decided. We need a team that can easily break the Genjutsu. How strong is it?” The old man asks as he sits behind his desk, taking out a scroll to write down the mission.  
“Extremely strong,” Itachi says, he doesn’t want to divulge too many information about Obito’s identity just yet, but underestimating his skills will only result in the mission failing. 

The Hokage stops writing to look at Itachi, eyes searching. “Is it as strong as one launched by the Sharingan?” He asks and Itachi remains impassive even as his heart starts beating faster. The Hokage is smarter than what most people give him credit for.  
“Stronger than most,” he answers, neither conforming nor denying that the mysterious leader could be an Uchiha.  
The Hokage hums, clearly hiding his surprise if he felt any and doesn’t even miss a beat to formulate his response. “Then I’m sending you, Kakashi and Shisui. You three are most definitely the strongest Sharingan users in Konoha right now. If anyone can cancel the Genjutsu, it’s you.”

Itachi doesn’t want to give away the slightest indication of what goes on into his mind the second Shisui’s name registers but he can’t help the slight twitch in his fingers and the way his breath catches. It’s an unexpected turn of event, even if he should have seen it coming from a mile away. Sending the three of them is the most sensible thing to do. 

Itachi holds capital information that will be vital for the mission to go smoothly, Kakashi is one of the Hokage’s most trusted Anbu, and of course Shisui is their best Genjutsu user. It is the perfect team for this mission, but the thought of having to remain in close proximity with the one person he had loved most above all else when he had never even gotten to completely finish mourning him makes his heart clench painfully.

He is nowhere ready to face Shisui head on. His mind is reeling as he thinks of what it is that he could say to convince the Hokage not to put him on the same mission as Shisui, the deeply buried feelings for his friend rising to the top so forcefully and so loudly that he almost misses Kakashi’s words.

“Is it wise to send all three of your strongest users at the same time?” His sentence is barely finished that the Hokage bristles and retorts in the next breath, “Konoha is not defenceless, we can handle ourselves without you here. Plus, if the Akatsuki chief is as strong as Kuro says, it is safer to send our best against him.”

This effectively shuts Kakashi up and makes Itachi’s stomach churn. He can’t think of anything to say.

“Do remember that your mission will be to free the Mizukage, and nothing more. If the situation gets out of hand, prioritize your safe journey back to Konoha over breaking the Genjutsu. Loosing you would be problematic.”

Itachi would rather lose a limb during this mission than face Shisui. That’s what’s problematic.

 

 

 

Kakashi sighs as he heads for the main gate of Konoha, a barely awake Shisui trailing behind him. The teen stifles a yawn behind the back of his hand, tears gathering at the corners of his dark eyes. Kakashi notices how similar the shape of Shisui’s eyes is to Kuro Uchiha’s, almond-like with long and dark lashes that flutter close to high cheek bones as the boy’s eyes close on yet another yawn.

It is to be expected that they look alike, they do share genetics but it still somewhat comes as a surprise to see it so clearly. Maybe they are closely related, Kakashi can’t help but think.

“So, what’s he like this foreign Uchiha?” Shisui asks, voice kept light but Kakashi notices how the sleepiness is gone from the teen’s eyes, his posture no longer slouching as the gate finally comes into view.

Scary, is the very first word that comes into Kakashi’s mind, but he bites down the word because it doesn’t even begin to capture the complexity of the Uchiha’s character. 

(The next adjective he comes up with is beautiful, and he is most definitely not going to say that.)

“I think we can trust him, we have a common goal and he is very strong,” Kakashi says instead, choosing not to dwell on his embarrassing thoughts for too long. He’ll blame them on puberty and the load of hormones that come with it.  
“You _think_ we can trust him?” Shisui echoes, a frown marring his features as he glances at Kakashi.  
“He saved my life when he had no obligation to do so, and he has been nothing but amicable so far. Still doesn’t explain how in the world there’s an Uchiha out there that no one knows about, so yeah, he’s an ally for now, but stay alert,” he warns and hitches his bag higher up his shoulder.

The journey to Kiri isn’t too long, most of it will be on a boat anyway, but Kakashi likes to be well prepared and he made sure to pack enough food and weapon to last him for at least the double of the expected travel time. You never know what might happen, and a shinobi is never too careful.

Still, asking them to depart before the sun rose was just plain sadistic and Kakashi makes a mental note to give in his report at least a week late. A childish retaliation, but he has to get his fun _somewhere_ and he is convinced that their newest Uchiha won’t be the one providing it during this mission.

 

The second they reach the gate, Kuro flickers to existence beside them. He had probably been waiting for them for quite a while, if the dark circles under his eyes are any indication. The man usually looks cold and closed-off, but Kakashi doesn’t think he imagines the way he seems even more on guard than usual, body stiff and eyes unwaveringly sharp no matter the obvious exhaustion in them.

“Didn’t sleep well?” Kakashi asks in lieu of a greeting, his tone polite as he tries to make conversation but the Uchiha doesn’t even spare him a glance, answering with a dismissive nod.  
“Hi there, nice to meet you, I’m Shisui Uchiha,” the teen offers in a cheerful voice that sounds way too happy for the tense mood surrounding their mismatched team.  
“Kuro,” the man offers back without even glancing at Shisui, the teen’s smile slightly wavering when faced with such a cold reaction.

Kakashi notices the lack of surname added, and it suddenly clicks that the man has never actually introduced himself as a member of the Uchiha clan, and had even gone as far as to deny Kakashi’s claim on his origins despite looking the part. He files away that information for later consideration.

Without another word, the man turns around and heads for the road leading to Konoha’s flourishing forest and both Kakashi and Shisui follow him in a tense silence. 

Kakashi really hopes the mood changes, because travelling all the way to Kiri in such an awkward silence is bound to make him go insane.

 

Evidently, the mood remains awfully awkward. 

They have been running through the Land of Fire for three days already, now close to the shore that serves as border with the Land of Water and the Uchiha has remained distant and closed off the entire time, only speaking to them when the time to assign the rounds and watch duties for the nights came. 

Tonight is the Uchiha’s turn to be first watch and Kakashi stares at him as he walks away from their camp to set up a few traps further away. He can feel Shisui drilling a hole through his skull, much like he has been for the past three days but they never had managed to be alone with their mismatched rounds and so Kakashi had been left on his own to wonder what was going on the teen’s mind.

But now that they’re alone, Kakashi can feel Shisui bouncing with barely contained excitement and the second the Uchiha is out of ear shot, the teen jumps up to his feet rushes to Kakashi’s sides to whisper in his ear.

“You didn’t tell me he looked like…. Like _this_ ” He hisses and Kakashi splutters, somehow managing not to choke on his drink as he coughs up a few times.  
“What?” He squeaks, voice going a few octaves too high to be considered manly.  
“Did you _see_ him,” Shisui adds in a louder voice as he backs away from Kakashi to sit down with a thoughtful look on his face.  
“Jealous of his good-looks?” Kakashi asks in a falsely playful voice, still completely baffled by the teen’s words and out of breath from his coughing fit. Shisui splutters indignantly at the words.  
“I’m not jealous!” He says in a defensive voice, and yeah, that’s definitely something someone jealous would say but before Kakashi gets to tease Shisui further, the teen speaks up once more, his face a lot more serious.  
“That’s not what I meant. Don’t you think he’s… like… familiar somehow?”

Kakashi feels his heart miss a beat and he can’t help but be reminded of how he keeps thinking of Obito every single time he stares too long at the man’s face. They don’t look much alike, the hair a shade too light and the slope of his nose too straight. Kakashi knows that the only reason he is reminded of Obito is because he is still very much obsessed with his friend’s death and he isn’t about to say something so depressing aloud.  
“Not really, I mean he does look like a Uchiha but beyond that...” Kakashi trails off, keeping his voice carefully neutral but Shisui isn’t paying attention to him. His gaze is focused on the spot the man disappeared into a few minutes ago to set the traps.  
“What about… his chakra signature?” Shisui says but his voice is soft, tentative, and unsure. At last, he shakes his head with a small smile. “Nevermind.”

Shisui rolls down to his side and Kakashi considers this conversation over but it leaves him feeling unsettled. He has a good flair, and the Sharingan allows him to see Chakra but feeling it and recognizing signatures has never been his strong suit. He probably couldn’t even recognize his own signature so it’s no wonder that he hasn’t been able to notice much beyond the fact that the Uchiha’s chakra waves could be incredibly strong.

Kakashi sighs as he lets himself fall backwards, his back colliding softly with the sparse grass that grew so close to the shore. Another day and they’d reach the border where they’d need to find a boat to finish their journey to Kiri.

He needs all the sleep he can catch right now. Sleeping on a boat is never as comfortable as on a steady ground.

 

 

If getting to Kiri proves to be actually quite easy, it doesn’t come as a surprise to anyone, really, that it all turns to shit quite quickly once they step into the Hidden Village.

Kuro wants them to check on the Rokubi first, because there is no point to this mission if the Akatsuki has already come to pick him up so he leads them to a remote temple and as soon as he confirms the presence of the Jinchuuriki inside, they leave for the Mizukage’s manor.

Kakashi doesn’t even question anymore how the man knows where to find the Mizukage’s residence, let alone where they keep the Rokubi.

Getting inside the manor is awfully easy, but Kiri has never been known for its security beyond the mist that surrounds the village and with how hated Yagura is by his people, it’s no wonder that the number of guards inside the building is incredibly low.

If his Hokage was a kid with murderous intent that orders the graduation exam to involve children killing one another, he doesn’t think he’d want to be on guard duty either.

 

Once they reach a large hall built on high columns, Kuro takes a moment to remind them of the plan. They’ll meet the Mizukage, have Shisui break the Genjutsu, and then let Kuro do the talking. Kakashi feels like an extra, but it’s just as well. He really doesn’t want to be the reason why such an important mission fails were it not to go the way they expect it to.

Of course, it doesn’t go the way they expect it to.

 

Yagura is sitting on a large stone throne in the middle of the otherwise empty hall. He sits straight, not even the slightest twitch in his muscles and he so obviously looks like a mindless puppet that Kakashi wonders how no one questioned the man’s more than odd behaviour.

He doesn’t react even as they come close enough for Shisui’s Sharingan to activate, but the moment the teen’s eyes bleed to red and settle on Yagura, the Mizukage’s body suddenly twitches back to life, all of his muscles suddenly taut as if strings had been pulled. 

He lunges for Shisui with his weapon, an elegant black rod with crooked ends, one of which is dangerously close to violently ripping one of Shisui’s eye out. Kakashi dashes forward but Kuro is faster and he yanks the teen backwards, gripping his shirt tightly as he pushes Shisui out of the way and rushes towards Yagura a second later.

His tanto is drawn and the weapons clash with a noise that rings loudly in the empty hall. Kuro’s arms twitches under the force of the Mizukage’s blow, but the man’s face is set in a mask of indifference, the pinkish eyes devoid of any thought or emotion. It’s entirely terrifying and when a sea blue chakra coils around the Mizukage’s rod, Kakashi feels his blood run cold. The air seems to cool down and the quivering breath that Kakashi draws in chills his lungs.

That’s the chakra of a Jinchuuriki upclose and it’s much more terrifying than anything Kakashi has ever faced before. It wraps itself around Yagura’ club like a snake but before it can reach Kuro’s tanto, the man backs away, landing in front of Kakashi and Shisui.

“Are you going to just _stand_ there?” Kuro says in an urgent voice, his jaw locked. 

Kakashi sucks in a harsh breath that makes him cold all over and drops into a fighting stance, quickly taking a kunai out of his weapon pouch. His hands feel unsteady but it’s a familiar ritual now to empty his mind and think of nothing but the mission, and his hands stop shaking.

“I didn’t have enough time to break the Genjutsu,” Shisui states calmly and when Kakashi glances at him he sees that the teen doesn’t look scared in the least, his face set in a determined frown and body ready for another attack.

Kakashi hasn’t often worked with Shisui before, but the kid’s reputation precedes him and no matter how he plays the fool and acts cheerfully, he is the strongest Uchiha in Konoha and has probably done more missions than even Kakashi despite being three years younger.

“The Genjutsu seems to have been set so that Yagura would attack anyone with a Sharingan,” Kuro says mildly, his detached tone at odds with the angry expression he wears. “That sounds like something _he_ ’d do,” he adds, the words only a whisper but they resonate clearly in the silence of the hall.

Kakashi doesn’t have any time to ponder on their meaning, though, because in the next second Yagura lunges for Shisui yet again with his club aimed at his face, obviously targeting the Sharingan but then teen is ready for the attack this time and he easily avoids it as he crouches down, rushing through seals as he jumps away to aim a Great Fireball at the Mizukage.

Yagura’s face remains set in stone as he traces a wide circle on the ground with the smaller curved end of his club, the surface glistening like a mirror out of which a perfect replica of Shisui comes out, hands rushing through the same seals to counter the fireball with one of its own of equal strength.

They loudly crash against one another, warming up the cold room instantly and Kakashi has to shield his face from the heat. Smoke rises high but in one swift move his head band is pushed up and he can see through the fumes easily with the Sharingan. 

As impressive as that trick is, Yagura won’t be able to use it if he uses his rod to counter blows so Kakashi rushes in close, his kunai aimed for the Mizukage’s thigh. Their chances of winning this fight without wounding him at all are close to none, so Kakashi will aim to incapacitate first and then see if there’s a way to end this without too much blood spilt. 

Yagura easily blocks the kunai with his rod and gracefully whirls around, bringing the larger end around to slam it into Kakashi’s unguarded side. He isn’t fast enough to avoid it but he raises his arm, hoping to soften the blow but it never comes, stopped short by Kuro’s tanto. Kakashi glances sideways at the man, catching the calm of his eyes and the neutral expression on his face and he is suddenly reminded of what it feels like to do mission with a team that has got your back.

 

Kakashi jumps and takes advantage of the fact that Yagura’s rod is out of the way to use a Doton Jutsu, the ground rising up to trap the Mizukage’s legs. Shisui rushes in and with his own tanto, he delivers a blow to the club as well, the added strength of the two Uchiha sending the weapon flying out of its wielder’s hand and falls in a loud clutter on the cold ground.

The only sound that can be heard is the one of four heavy breathings and even if Yagura is trapped and out of breath, his face remains impassive.

“Quickly, before he can use the Sanbi’s chakra-” Kuro starts, but Shisui is already moving in, Sharingan set on his target. Kakashi steps away, heaving a relieved breath that somehow no one died, but suddenly he feels a flicker of chakra to his left, so malevolent and dark that even the worst Academy student would have picked it up and a second later, there’s a fireball crashing in the room, so large and so powerful that Kakashi can’t even waste a second thinking about his comrades and he hurls himself out of the way, the warning that leaves his lips immediately drowned by the loud crash of the fireball connecting with the ground.

 

The blow of the collision sends him reeling, a scorching heat warming his entire body uncomfortably and he is sent sprawling on his side, rolling until his back hits a wall.

He groans in pain at the impact, at least one of his ribs broke but as long as it doesn’t pierce a lung, he’ll make do. He struggles back to his feet, looking around wildly for the source of the threat but even his Sharingan is useless with the amount of smoke in the room. He tries to take a breath but he chokes on the black fumes, throat burning.

The ceiling makes an ominous sound and seconds later, rumbles come crashing down, opening up a hole out of which the smoke starts to leave. As it starts to clear, the damage dealt to the building becomes more than obvious. There are close to no columns left standing and the ceiling has collapsed in different places.

 

Kakashi looks for where Shisui and Yagura had stood but all he sees is scorched ground. He searches around until his eyes land on Kuro who looks a little singed but otherwise safe, supporting Shisui and Kakashi feels the terror in his heart alleviate. The teen’s legs look unsteady and a good portion of his arm looks burnt quite badly but he is alive and that’s all that matters for now.

He dashes up to them, extending an arm to support Shisui as well and the teen flashes him a weak smile.

“’S not nice to start a party without inviting everyone, you know!” A whiny voice complains and it’s definitely not Yagura’s.

Kakashi looks to the source of the sound, the smoke almost completely cleared now, and his eyes land on a still expressionless Yagura, next to someone he has never seen before. The man wears the telltale Akatsuki robe and that immediately sets Kakashi alert. His face is hidden away by an orange mask with a swirling pattern, leaving only one dark eye visible and that gives him no indication of the man’s identity.

The man raises a hand to scratch at the back of his heand, the other waving at them in a childish greeting. He glances at Yagura, an offended sound leaving his lips and he reaches for the Mizukage’s hand, forcing the man’s hand into a wave as well, the arm falling limp to his side the second the man lets go of it.

Kakashi carefully glances at Kuro, hoping to judge from his expression if this man is dangerous or not, because their new opponent’s carefree words and dumb attitude could be an act for all his knows.

What he sees on the Uchiha’s face chills him on the spot. There’s a cold yet measured fury burning in his eyes that is so at odds with the ever present aura of indifference that hangs around him that Kakashi almost thinks he is imagining the tightly-controlled violence that Kuro radiates.

“Tobi,” the Uchiha calls in a freezing voice and each vowel is laced with venom and a hatred so potent that Kakashi immediately classify the newcomer as ‘extremely fucking dangerous’.

The man doesn’t seem phased in the slightest by Kuro’s tone and he cocks his head in confusion. “Who are you and why do you know my name?” He asks in a high and childish tone that doesn’t fool Kakashi any more. This man feels wrong, there is something murderous and wicked about him that sets Kakashi on edge.

One glance at Shisui tells him that he isn’t the only who feels that way, the teen’s face set in an assessing and careful frown, his posture defensive as he cradles his injured arm to his chest. They should have taken a medic nin with them.

“I know more than that false name,” Kuro suddenly says, his voice even less steady than before, he looks as if he is barely holding himself still. Kakashi didn’t think the man could lose control like this. “Should I call you Madara? Or maybe your birth name would be better?”

The masked man suddenly grows deathly still and he abandons all playfulness, the lines of his body suddenly taut with a surge of deadly power that makes Kakashi’s hairs stand on end. _Madara?_ , he wonders, gears in his mind halting to a forceful stop.

“You’re the one who killed two of my men,” the man says and his voice is suddenly a lot deeper, the threat that he represents made a lot more obvious with the phrasing.

‘ _His men’_. This is the leader of Akatsuki, and Kakashi can only hope this isn’t his last day on earth.

“Kakashi, Shisui, you’ll have to handle Yagura on your own. Break the Genjutsu, I’ll deal with Tobi,” Kuro tells them in a low voice as he shifts the weight Shisui had been resting on him onto Kakashi, and takes a step forward.

He unsheathes his tanto, and in a blur of dark hair and green konoha uniform, he teleports between Yagura and the leader of Akatsuki, aiming a kick at Yagura’s back so fast that Kakashi only sees a blur and the Mizukage is sent flying towards the two of them as Kuro dives his tanto deep into the cloaked man’s heart.

Kakashi is suddenly busy with trying to restrain Yagura, but out of the corner of his eye, he can see the way the blade seems to simply pass through the man as if it hadn’t met any resistance, no blood spurting out.

In the next second, their air around them seems to warp, swirling on itself and they both disappear, leaving Kakashi with a Mizukage to beat and a very weakened Shisui to protect.

His day can’t possibly get much worse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aaaaaaaaaand that's it
> 
> I've started working on the next chapter, but as mentioned in the beginning notes, I don't want to write without having a clear idea of where I'm going so it might take a while for me to finish it.
> 
> I do hope that you're not too mad at me and that you'll keep waiting for the next chapter as patiently as you've been this one lol
> 
> I swear I won't procrastinate any more
> 
> xoxo


	8. A heart is a heavy burden

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's been a while so a little summary:
> 
> Itachi agrees to the deal offered by the Hokage and is sent on a mission along with Kakashi and Shisui to Kiri. There, they find Yagura and fights him in order to free him from Obito's Genjutsu. Just as they were about to win, Obito arrives and teleports away with Itachi, leaving Kakashi and Shisui separated from their ally and alone against the Mizukage.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry it took a long time lol. I had a full time job during September and couldn't find the time to write anything at all. Thankfully, school started again so instead of taking notes during lectures, I can now write my fanfiction in peace. The updates might come faster, yay for college.
> 
> Also, not to spoil or anything but this chapter is juicy ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

The air warps and shifts, the world itself seems to be spinning and collapsing on itself until it all comes to a stop and while he feels slightly dizzy, Itachi doesn’t waste another second and lunges at Obito.

He has never travelled through space with Kamui and it’s about as unpleasant as he had thought it would be, but it’s far too little to make him stop for more than a moment. Obito is used to his Sharingan, though, and he isn’t unsteady the way Itachi is when his kunai crashes against Itachi’s tanto. The force of his blow is weakened, and Obito easily pushes him away, quickly following with a kick that connects hard with Itachi’s arm, a sick crack echoing in the empty hall they had been teleported to.

Itachi jumps back, his right hand rising to clutch at his left elbow, the pain blindingly bright.

“Who are you?” Obito asks and his voice is no longer playful but dark and threatening. His eye is a bright blood red, but Itachi doesn’t feel the least scared to stare right into the blood red of his Sharingan, his own activated.  
“Kuro,” he answers without a pause, it’s becoming easier to let the name leave his lips. He isn’t really ‘Itachi’ anymore, he is nothing but a wayward soul lost in the wrong world spurred on solely by his one and only purpose.  
“I don’t know you, but if you interfere with my plans I’ll kill you,” Obito states and it sounds like an oath but Itachi is too angry to feel scared.  
“Why, Obito?” He asks, and the second the name leaves his lips Obito’s chakra comes out pouring in wave of killing intent so potent that Itachi can taste it. “Why destroy the world instead of trying to save it?”

The younger man doesn’t answer, choosing instead to lunge at Itachi. Yet, his movements are no longer precise and calculated, but rather disorganized and frenzied. He is growing reckless the more Itachi flaunts his knowledge of his plans.

Riling him up isn’t Itachi’s objective, though. As much as he despises Obito for letting himself get so easily manipulated and being a threat to Sasuke’s happiness, Itachi firmly believes in the goodness that lies in people. He is a pacifist at heart, no matter the amount of blood on his hands, and he won’t kill Obito without trying to change his mind first.

 

A fist comes flying to his face but Itachi easily avoids it before charging with his tanto aimed to Obito’s middle. He knows how to fight against Kamui, he has spent time thinking about its strengths and weaknesses and so, when his weapon disappears through Obito, Itachi follows suit, passing straight into the man’s entire body. He whirls around, rushing through seals one handed as he begins to count. The second his body is out of Obito’s dematerialized one, Itachi launches a Fire Bullet Jutsu that also goes right past the man, colliding with a wall and rising dust in the process. 

Itachi doesn’t even stop for a second, throwing shuriken faster than the eye can see, alternating between shuriken-jutsu and kenjutsu to force Obito to maintain his dematerialisation. Itachi knows that the longest he can hold it is for five minutes, but that had been ten years later and with a more rigorous training. This Obito doesn’t fully control his Mangekyou Sharingan, probably doesn’t even know its limits but Itachi does, and he is going to take advantage of that.

Suddenly, one of Itachi’s shurikens lodges itself deeply into the man’s thigh and he snarls out a pained groan. It has barely been two minutes and Itachi allows a small smirk to bloom on his face. The tomoe of his Sharingan swirl before shifting, taking the shape of three spiralling curves and as all of his chakra focuses to his right eye, a small trickle of blood falls down his cheek.  
Obito’s Akatsuki robe suddenly catches fire, the black flames wrapping around his body as he screams in pain. Amaterasu has never been one of Itachi’s favourite Jutsu to use, too wild and unpredictable, as well as uselessly painful but he has taken a vow, and never again will he let his emotions blunt his resolve.

Itachi calls off the flames as he dashes towards Obito, thrusting his tanto deep into the man’s shoulder as the last of the smoke disappears, leaving the fearsome leader of Akatsuki sprawled on his back, one shoulder pinned to the ground by Itachi’s blade, his entire body red with the heat and slightly shivering from the pain. 

The blood that pours out from Obito’s shoulder isn’t enough for him to lose consciousness and Itachi mercilessly sends a warm trickle of heat through the conducting blade, the flesh of the man’s shoulder hissing and melting away from the fuming metal. Obito cries out, his eye no longer opened but scrunched up in agony.

“Give up this mad idea,” Itachi says again, his voice cold and detached but the fire in his blood-red eyes inextinguishable.  
Obito cracks his eye open and Itachi tries to read his expression through the swirling patterns of his mask. All he sees is the man’s right eye, it’s more than enough for him to understand that he won’t be able to get to Obito no matter how hard he tries.  
“It’s not madness, that’s all this cursed world deserves,” Obito snarls and Itachi lets a sigh leave his lips.  
“An eye for an eye and the world goes blind, boy, learn how to forgive and grow up,” he says but the words are barely out of his mouth that space warps again and Obito disappears, only leaving under Itachi a pool of blood and the tip of his blade stuck in the ground.

He curses under his breath. He hadn’t realised that so much time had gone by since Obito had last dematerialized.

Itachi draws his tanto out of the ground and readies his stance, senses stretched and focus unwavering. His Mangekyou Sharingan is still activated, but with new eyes and a lack of terminal illness hindering him, his reserves are much bigger, allowing him to wield his Dojutsu with much more fineness. He won’t go blind as easily nor as quickly as before, and if talking doesn’t work, Itachi will always resort to his most comfortable weapon, Tsukuyomi.

There’s a spark of Chakra behind him so strong that it’s only out of habit that he calls forth his Susanoo instead of trying to avoid. The Jutsu crashes against the half formed bones, the smell of smoke immediately filling his nose. He whirls around but Obito’s presence has disappeared once more and Itachi suddenly understands.

Obito won’t remain dematerialized until the power runs out any more. Instead, he’ll hide in his alternate space-time until he can use it again, and only come out to attack, rendering Itachi’s strategy useless.

Well, it’s a good thing Itachi is always thinking two steps ahead. If Obito won’t use his dematerialisation, it only leaves one other way of hitting him. Obito has to materialize to land an attack, and in that split second, he is vulnerable. 

Itachi calls off the Susanoo and purposefully takes a defensive stance that leaves his left shoulder unguarded. Obito’s first hit had badly bruised his elbow anyway, so choosing this arm to be sacrificed seems like the best course of action. He can only hope that Kiri’s medic nins aren’t as terrible as their Sensors. 

There’s a flare of chakra to his left and Itachi’s breathing slows. His heart is oddly calm and his body relaxed. He feels a sense of peacefulness swallow him and when the feeling of intense and blinding pain blossoms in his shoulder, he welcomes it. He doesn’t even blink as he whirls around, faster than even Shisui and in that split second of blurring movement, his eyes catch Obito’s. He sees it widening in fear when the realisation that he just lost this fight sinks in.  
Obito’s arm is still extended, fire pouring from his palm and Itachi’s tanto come slicing down mercilessly, cutting it cleanly off, the limb flying away. 

The younger man jumps back with a demented scream, his other hand clutching at his shoulder from which blood is gushing out at an alarming rate. His Sharingan fades back to deep black, his legs growing unsteadier by the second. Obito’s mask remains untouched, hiding all of his face but the visible eye is getting glassy and it’s enough for Itachi to realise that he only has a few seconds left if he wants to stop his nemesis. 

Itachi bites down on his lip to prevent any sound from leaving his clenched jaw even as the pain in his own shoulder flares. He wastes half a second to look at it, the entirety of the top of his uniform has been burnt, leaving clearly exposed to the eye the horrifying sight of his melted and frizzled skin. All of his arm hurts and he can’t even feel his fingers nor move his hand whatsoever.

He grits his teeth and looks back at Obito, raising his tanto one handed.  
“Too bad the Eternal Tsukuyomi’s seals require two hands,” Itachi remarks, unable to keep the smugness out of his voice and Obito lets out a harsh and pained gasp. He glares at Itachi, frame shaking and before he passes out, Obito gathers the last of his chakra reserves while the air begins to distort.

Itachi takes in a shallow breath as he dashes forward, but his limp arm is jostled in the movement and a flaming pain makes his steps falter. He is a second too late in reaching Obito and just as his tanto is about to slice the orange mask of his opponent, he disappears into thin air.

 

Itachi stares at the empty space before him, and he crumbles to his knees. Blood leaking from his eyes and his entire body feeling like it’s been dumped in a furnace of agony, Itachi can feel consciousness slipping away. His chakra reserves have never been large but he had prided himself on having a good enough control not to waste too much of it uselessly.

He’ll need to train using Amaterasu and Susanoo during the same day, because he’s obviously getting rusty. Deidara would probably make fun of him. 

 

 

Shisui might have injured his arm and Kakashi might have broken a rib but they work flawlessly together and surprisingly enough, it doesn’t take them too long to incapacitate the Mizukage and in the next second, Shisui has launched his own Genjutsu, countering the Akatsuki Leader’s.

Yagura falls down limply as if the strings forcing him into moving had just been snapped. Still, Kakashi is convinced he is fine although he remains impossibly still, his breathing his even, and they haven’t roughened him up too much.

“I’ve used Kotoamatsukami, and since Kuro isn’t here I’ve given the Mizukage background information on the situation through my Genjutsu. If he wakes up, he won’t attack us, he’ll think we’re his allies,” Shisui says in a tired voice as he takes a wobbly step towards Kakashi.

Kotoamatsukami is an amazing Genjutsu, probably the strongest Kakashi has ever heard of and he is immensely thankful to have Shisui on his side.

With a sigh, Kakashi crouches down and hitches the Mizukage up on his back, he is small and light, his stature much closer to a child’s than a grown adult’s and it’s much easier to have him on his back compared to when he had had to drag Kuro to Konoha.

 

Thinking about the man suddenly reminds Kakashi that he had simply vanished alongside the leader of Akatsuki and that prospect is extremely worrying.

“We need to move, guards are bound to come at some point with how noisy we were,” Shisui says as he glances around to take in the destruction inflected upon the graceful manor. It’s falling apart, it’s a total miracle it hasn’t collapsed yet.

A loud crashing noise forces both of their head to snap up before slowly look back at one another. That’s never a good sound to hear when you’re missing your strongest ally and there’s a kidnapped Mizukage on your back.

Carefully, Kakashi jumps up through one of the holes in the ceiling to land on the roof of the manor and he glances around. There’s a tower of smoke coming from one of the external walls, near the main entrance. He squints his eyes, reserves too low to use the Sharingan but he doesn’t need it to see the shape of a Great Fireball crashing against the manor, making it shake all the way to the roof.

A second later, Shisui is also up there with Kakashi and he follows his line of sight. His Sharingan activates and his face pales.  
“That’s Kuro over there, he’s fighting the masked man in the black robes from before,” Shisui says, and with how his voice trembles Kakashi really doesn’t want to get closer. But he isn’t about to pass up a chance of finally saving the Uchiha and pay him back.

“T-That’s a Susanoo!” Shisui suddenly shouts and when Kakashi glances at him, he sees that the teen’s eyes are wide, his mouth hanging open as he stares at the fight that’s too far for Kakashi to see. Without adding anything, Shisui’s form flickers and he disappears. Kakashi curses him and his lightening speed Shunshin as he picks up running, the Mizukage a slowing weight on his back.

 

When Kakashi finally reaches the source of the smoke, it has mostly cleared and he can easily see the results of the fight on the palace. One of the wall has a hole punched through it, most of the ground is blackened and scorched, there’s blood everywhere and _is that a fucking arm?_

Kakashi blanches and he looks around, searching wildly for Shisui or Kuro, the smell of iron and burnt skin suddenly overwhelming. His eyes land on two similar mops of black hair and he quickly closes the distance that separates him from the two Uchiha, but the closer he gets, the stronger his heart beats. His eyes zero-in on Kuro’s left arm, it’s bent at an odd shape and he is pretty sure he can see a _bone_ popping out at his elbow but what really makes his throat constrict is the smell and the colour of his skin. It has been burnt to a crisp and it takes a lot out of Kakashi not to retch.

He glances at Shisui instead, but the teen isn’t watching Kuro’s arm, instead his eyes are stuck to his back, wide and confused, his mouth hanging open. Kakashi follows his line of sight to see that most of the man’s shirt has been burnt down, uncovering the smooth expanse of his back, a black tattoo swirling from the small of his back to his nape. 

Kakashi comes closer but freezes in his track. That’s not a tattoo, it is most definitely a seal but it is much more advanced than anything Kakashi has ever seen in his entire life. He is pretty sure the line are forming words meant to be read but somehow Kakashi can’t make out any sense out of them, as if the letter had been written mirrored, or in the wrong order. It’s a confusing sight, but Shisui needs to snap out of whatever he is thinking about because they have much pressing matters to deal with than some fancy seal.

“Shisui, we need to get the hell out of here. Remember the mission,” Kakashi grits out. The words leave a bitter taste in his mouth because seriously fuck this mission, what they need right now is a medic but it will all have been in vain if they get captured for assassination attempt.

Clearly, they’ve just saved the Mizukage and the Land of Water but he doesn’t think this is what people are going to think of first if they stumble upon this gruesome scene.

“… You’re right,” Shisui says at last, and with a deep breath, he glances away from Kuro’s back, Sharingan finally deactivating after such prolonged used, but the teen doesn’t let exhaustion weigh him down and he carefully tries to pick Kuro up.

Shisui is tall and lanky for his age, all long wild limbs, but Kuro is a few inches taller and very much a dead weight. His legs buckles when he settles Kuro on his back but Shisui is nothing if determined and driven, and with a curt nod towards the edge of the village, he begins to run, Kakashi on his heels.

 

 

On some level, Kakashi had expected that the moment the Mizukage woke up, he’d attack them because after all once shit turned sour, why expect it to suddenly go all according to plan.

Yet, when Yagura blinks his eyes open, he doesn’t lunge at them, or start screaming. He sits up silently, surveys his surroundings and when his eyes land on Kakashi and Shisui, sitting side by side against a large tree trunk, his face turns assessing and considering.

“You broke the Genjutsu,” he says, his voice is high but not soft or gentle. It has that commanding tone that people in power always end up using. Kakashi gives him a curt nod and bows slowly out of politeness. That man is still a Kage, even if their two villages have never been on friendly terms.

“You’re from Konoha,” Yagura states again, and this time his voice is less cold, and a bit more curious. “Why did you help?”

Kakashi sighs. This is supposed to be Kuro’s time to shine, he would have used his well mannered speech and smart words to explain the situation, using his natural charm to get the Mizukage on their sides but Kakashi isn’t Kuro. Moreover, everyone knows how terrible he is with this type of diplomatic missions and talking to important people. It isn’t through these that he got his gruesome reputation as the Anbu Hound.

Kakashi glances worriedly to his left where Kuro lies in the grass, unmoving. His chest falls and rises slowly at irregular intervals and he needs immediate medical attention. Kakashi sucks at this, but it’s either he tries anyway or Kuro dies.

Kakashi fumbles over his words, his explanation is a bit off and he is missing some elements but Yagura already knows about Akatsuki so it makes things easier. They learn that he has actually been aware the entire time. He couldn’t control his body nor what he said, but he could see and hear everything that happened. 

While they speak and he tries to make a steady ally of the Mizukage so that he’d accept to let them stay while Kuro recovers, Kakashi catches the way Shisui keeps staring at the older Uchiha. He doesn’t say anything, he doesn’t even look like he is listening at all, only focused on glaring a hole through Kuro’s chest. It’s awfully distracting, and Kakashi finds himself getting irritated that the teen is being so unprofessional in front of the Mizukage.

He is getting so side-tracked that he almost misses Yagura’s next words.

“You have my utmost thanks. I shall provide for you anything you may require, and I will consider forwarding my gratitude to the Hokage. We could both use one more ally against the threat that is Akatsuki,” he says and Kakashi finally feels like he can breathe again.

The mission is a success, : the Mizukage is safe, the Genjutsu is broken, he will make sure that the two Bijuus of Kiri remain safe and he is even willing to become Konoha’s ally. Maybe Kakashi isn’t as terrible with words as he had thought himself to be.

Maybe he could pursue a career in politics, it’d probably be easier on his heart because one day he’s going to get a heart attack from how reckless Kuro likes to be. 

 

Kakashi doesn’t even feel ashamed to be asking for their best medic nin, after all it is because of Yagura that it had come to this in the first place, and Kakashi would really like to keep Kuro’s arm attached to the rest of his body.

 

The hospital in Kiri is much different from the one in Konoha. It is barren and there are fewer rooms, the number of doctors and nurses is also alarmingly small, but Yagura reassures them that Kuro is being treated by their best, and that his chances of recovery are high. Only then does Kakashi allow his body to relax as he sits in the waiting room, Shisui silent next to him. 

The teen has yet to speak, he has kept quiet ever since they had discovered Kuro and as much as Kakashi wants to berate him for letting his feelings get to him, he refrains from doing so because of how unusual it is for _Shisui_ to act like this.

“I need to talk to him the second he wakes up,” Shisui suddenly says, and Kakashi jumps slightly. “Alone,” he adds, and the tone of his voice doesn’t leave room for any argument that Kakashi might come up with, although he has quite the number of them.

Firstly, Kakashi is in charge of this mission, so technically, Shisui does whatever the fuck Kakashi tells him to, not the other way around, and secondly, Kakashi is Shisui’s direct superior in Anbu, being a Captain and his senior by three years so he has absolutely zero reason to comply to the younger boy demands. And yet, he considers it.

He sees the fire in Shisui’s eyes and the grim set of his mouth, he thinks of how silent as well as visibly upset he has been acting, and how unlike him it is.

Kakashi sighs, but he nods all the same. He is curious, obviously, yet he also knows when to back off.

 

 

It has been two entire weeks since Kuro left and Deidara has never been this bored in his entire life. He hadn’t even been allowed to know anything at all about the mission so he can only wait. The first few days, he had been angry to have been left behind in a city he didn’t even know, alone in their small shared apartment with no one to look after him but the old and quite weird baby sitter they had entrusted him to.

But days had turned into weeks and the longer Deidara waits, the more his anger vanishes to let worry grow in its stead. He believes in Kuro and he knows his strength but he can’t help thinking about the worst possible scenarios. If Kuro were to die, Deidara wouldn’t have anything left. He abandoned his village and country to join a stranger on his quest and while he doesn’t regret it in the slightest, it leaves him with no one else to trust but Kuro.

 

Deidara sighs and stops polishing his kunai to glance at the old man sitting beside him, nose deep in a book whose cover makes Deidara cringe in disgust every time he sees it. He’s a child, yes, but he is also a shinobi who has been hanging around older men for years so he knows porn when he sees it.

“You’re disgusting,” he mutters, but the old man hears him and looks away from his book to stare at Deidara with a lecherous smirk.  
“You’re too young to know how truly artful this masterpiece is,” he says, but Deidara begs to differ. There’s nothing artful about a book on sex, and he doesn’t think that he’ll change his mind any time soon. There’s only art in explosions anyway.  
“When are we going to do something interesting?” Deidara asks instead because he has learned in the past days not to question the old man’s peculiar tastes in literature.

Before there’s time for the man to answer, a kunoichi wearing a white porcelain mask flickers into existence beside them. Deidara has since learned that these ninja are from the Anbu, the special operation force of Konoha and while he still doesn’t exactly know what they do, he has easily understood that it’s secret and dangerous stuff. So, interesting stuff.

He jumps to his feet, kunai and book long forgotten but the Anbu doesn’t spare a glance at him and immediately rushes to the old man’s side, kneeling down with her head bowed respectfully.

“Jiraiya _-sama_ ,” she greets, “you have been summoned to the Hokage’s office for urgent matters. Please go see him immediately.”

The old man’s face turns serious and he closes his book. He gives a curt nod to the Anbu who immediately disappears, and then glances at Deidara.

“I trust you know your way back to your home,” is all he says before he disappears too.

 

Deidara curses under his breath, gathers his belongings and starts running back to the village. The forest they had been sunbathing in isn’t that far from Konoha, but Deidara knows he is much slower than the old man.

He had underestimated him at first, thinking that the Hokage had appointed him someone’s granddad because of a shortage of babysitters. What was his surprise when he realised he had actually been hanging around one of the Legendary Sannin of Konoha.

His early amazement and awe had been quickly blown away by the reality of the old man’s personality, though. He was a pervert and an idiot, but he was also most definitely a better shinobi than Deidara, so he doesn’t waste a second and runs with all his might. He won’t beat him to the Hokage’s office but he might be fast enough to hear some of what they have to talk about.

What are the odds for it to be about Kuro? Deidara doesn’t know, but he won’t take any chances. The smallest piece of information would be a victory for him. He is going mad with worry so he won’t let this opportunity slip through his fingers.

 

Deidara lands on the roof of the Hokage’s office without a sound. He breathes in deeply, slows his heartbeat and crawls towards the edge. There’s a window sill under him, and he soundlessly drops on it, hidden behind the wall but close enough to the window to hear the words exchanged.

His heart his thundering and it’s loud enough in his own ears that he is worried the two old men might be able to hear it. Deidara doesn’t know what the penalty is in Konoha for breach of secrecy, but he knows that he is better off not being caught.

He pricks up his ears and prays not to be noticed.

“So what’s next,” Jiraiya asks, and Deidara can’t see them but he can tell that the man sounds relieved and that eases his own worry.  
“We’ll have to wait for Kuro to wake up to find out,” the Hokage says and even if he sounds just as relaxed as Jiraya, the words freeze Deidara to the spot.  
“He’s just been moved to a recovery room in Konoha’s hospital, right?” Jiraiya says in a loud voice, but Deidara doesn’t even wait for an answer and he jumps off the window, legs trembling and heart hammering in his chest.

 

A few seconds go by in silence, Jiraiya smirking happily.

“Was that really necessary?” The Hokage asks with a sigh, but Jiraiya’s smile only widens. Two weeks is a short time to grow fond of someone, but there’s something in Deidara’s brashness that reminded him of Kushina, but with Minato’s colouring. He could have been their son, and being forced to look after someone resembling them so much has helped him make peace with his responsibility towards Naruto as well. 

He should have never abandoned his godson the way he did. He should have taken him in, tell him stories about his parents and raise him to be an amazing shinobi, just like them. Taking care of the blond brat Kuro had brought with him has made him realize that it isn’t yet too late to brighten up an orphan’s life. Jiraiya will look after Naruto, from now on, and it’s only thanks to Deidara. ;u; 

Letting this kid be reunited as fast as possible with Kuro isn’t nearly enough of a thank you gift compared to what the brat has unknowingly done for him.

“Yeah, it was necessary.”

 

 

Itachi feels consciousness slowly drift back to him, and it’s the second time in barely two weeks that he wakes up in a bed when the last thing he remembers is passing out outside. It’s getting tiring, but this time the realisation doesn’t come with the feelings of anger and panic he had felt the first time.

This time, it means that Kakashi and Shisui succeeded in breaking the Genjutsu because if they hadn’t, he’d be dead and not in the recovery room of Konoha’s hospital.

It immediately helps Itachi in calming down. They succeeded, and it’s another step closer to his goal. With a sigh, Itachi pushes on his right arm, trying to sit up, but the second his puts weight on his left shoulder, a blinding pain flares from the tip of his fingers to his collarbone and he flops back down on the pillow.

“I’d advise against using an arm that was almost burnt to ashes so soon, give it a few more weeks,” a teasing voice says and it surprises Itachi that he hasn’t even noticed someone being in the same room but when his eyes land on Shisui sitting in one of the corner, his guard lowers and he has to bite his lip to keep himself from smiling at him.

 

It’s been hard, incredibly hard, to travel alongside Shisui.

Itachi had missed him much more than he had realised. He had missed the sleepiness in his puffy eyes when he woke up after taking first watch, he had missed the wild curls of his unkept hair, he had missed his soft voice and his warm laugh, but most of all, he has missed the feeling of his kind eyes staring at him with unguarded love and affection.

His throat feels tight, and he can’t help but wonder what ‘Kuro’ has done to deserve such a look.

“You really thought you could fool me?” He asks, and suddenly the warmth Itachi feels freezes and he’s cold all over. “I thought you had more faith in me, Itachi.” 

Itachi’s mouth opens and closes, he blinks a few times and he tries to fight off his sleepiness because this is a very horribly dire situation that needs his entire focus and attention if he wants to get out of it unscathed. He can’t think of anything to say, the anaesthetic still slowing his brain too much for him to come up with something plausible.

He stares at Shisui in silence, but the teen’s eyes don’t lose their warmth and his smile doesn’t waver.

Then, he stands up and leaves the corner of the room to walk up to Itachi’s bed. He looks down at him kindly, but there’s a hint of sadness to his face that makes Itachi’s heart hurt a bit.

“You grew up real big, and much manlier,” he says with a hint of playfulness that doesn’t reach all the way to his eyes and Itachi doesn’t even know where to begin. He has no idea how Shisui even figured it out. He has been nothing but careful but he should have known better than to underestimate Shisui. He isn’t even sure if it’s worth the trouble of trying to deny it.

Shisui is much smarter than that.

 

The teen suddenly sighs and the smile drops, there’s only sadness and worry left on his face.

“How about you tell me exactly how bad it had gotten for you to go as far as to mess with time?”

Yeah, alright, no point in trying to deny it, Shisui already knows everything. Surprisingly enough, Itachi doesn’t feel like he is drowning or about to explode. If anyone could have found out and not freak out, it was Shisui.

Still, Itachi needs to know what gave it away if he wants to try to keep his identity under wraps for the rest of the world.

“How?” He rasps out, his words instantly dissolving into a coughing fit, throat raw and dry from disuse.

Shisui immediately fetches him a glass of water that Itachi downs in a second, handing back the cup with a word of thanks. As he fills it up again, Shisui speaks up.

“On you back, there’s a seal. If you look at it with the Sharingan it becomes readable.”

Itachi frowns. It doesn’t make much sense for an Uzumaki seal to require the Sharingan to be readable, but it’s a vital piece of information nonetheless.  
“What does it say?” he asks, and Shisui whirls around to study him with wide eyes.  
“You don’t even know?” he shoots back and when Itachi lifts his right shoulder in a half shrug he sighs and shakes his head. “It says something like ‘Granted was the wish, Turned was the time...’ and something about a promise… Anyway, it just suddenly made sense why you looked familiar and why I recognized you chakra signature even though we had never met. You’re the Itachi from the future.”

Of course Shisui would be able to piece everything back together with so little clues. Itachi sighs. He had considered telling a trusted ally about his identity because of how much easier it would be to have someone whom he could tell every single one of his plan and get a second opinion from.

He hadn’t yet gotten to the part where he carefully prepares a well-constructed speech that would explain all the details in a concise manner.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

 

Itachi’s breath wavers. There’s so much sadness in Shisui’s voice that he doesn’t even dare raise his head to look at his cousin’s face. More so than the sadness, it is the disappointment that breaks his heart. Shisui isn’t disppointed in Itachi, he is disappointed in himself. Disappointed that Itachi doesn’t trust him enough to confide in him, the same he always did without hesitation. 

“I...I just, I’m sorry, Shisui,” he says, his own voice weak. He can’t find the words to express what it is he feels. “I didn’t think it’d be very smart to reveal such crucial information when I didn’t have Konoha’s trust.”  
“I’m not Konoha, Itachi,” Shisui says. He doesn’t say ‘I’m your cousin’ or ‘I’m your best friend’, but Itachi hears it all the same. If there is one person in the whole world that Itachi knows he never needs to doubt for even one second, it is Shisui.

 

There’s a beat of silence during which all Itachi can hear is the sound of his heart beating like drums, but suddenly Shisui laughs.  
“Sage, I seriously can’t believe there’s a way to turn back in time. Who is the madman that even made that up?”

Itachi chuckles, leave it to Shisui to always find a way to make him smile. “I don’t know, but it was an Uzumaki.”

Shisui’s grin immediately disappear to be replaced by a serious expression. “An Uzumaki seal that you have to read with the Sharingan?” He asks, but Itachi has no answer. It is odd, to say the least, but unless they find who created the Jutsu, they will probably never know so he simply shrugs. Shisui doesn’t seem satisfied but he seems to decide to let it go for now, and he instead reaches for Itachi’s hair. 

“You could have at least used a Henge, you look too much like yourself,” he says as he tugs lightly on the strand. Itachi pushes his hand away with a frown on his face.  
“With the number of times I’ve passed out already, using a Henge would have been even more suspicious. Imagine Kakashi’s face if my appearance had suddenly changed while he carried me to Konoha.”  
Shisui booms out a laugh. “Yeah, I heard about that. How did the great Itachi manage to get taken out so easily?”

Itachi bristles, ears reddening in shame at being chastised like a child, but the embarrassment doesn’t last. He missed bantering with Shisui, just like he had missed his loud laugh and his teasing tone. He suddenly feels overly emotional, he can’t help but feel like he has been given back his light, and the world seems much brighter with Shisui in the same room.

Itachi doesn’t even want to imagine how he’ll feel if he sees Sasuke.

 

There’s the faint sound of rushing footsteps half a second before the door is thrown open so powerfully that it crashes against the wall and bounces back immediately, slamming against the newcomer's face.

Deidara falls to his knees, both hands clutching his forehead that had just been hit with the doorknob.

“Ow fucking shit, hell, fuck, shit,” he mutters, face red and tears gathering in his scrunched up eyes.

There’s a sudden rush of warmth blooming in Itachi’s heart and when the urge to smile strikes, he doesn’t force it down, choosing instead to call out Deidara’s name with much more softness and affection that he had ever believed himself possible.

The kid’s head snaps up, blue, teary eyes meeting Itachi’s dark ones.

“I’ve told you many times to stop swearing so much,” he says with a small smile, but Deidara’s face falls, eyes roaming all over Itachi’s frame and stopping for a long moment on his bandaged arm. The tears do fall, this time, and within seconds his entire face is wet and swollen, bottom lips trembling and voice shaking as he speaks up.  
“What happened to you?”  
Itachi exchanges a look with Shisui, not entirely sure how much of their mission is confidential but before any of them can find an answer, Deidara walks up to Itachi’s bed and raises a trembling hand to the healing limb.  
“Actually I don’t care what happened, you’ve got no excuse. You’re a good ninja so don’t get hurt again,” he says in a voice that is probably meant to be authoritative but between the red of his face and the sniffles that cut off his sentence, the kid doesn’t sound very assertive.  
“He’s cute, I see why you got attached to him,” Shisui says and Deidara echoes in a faint and disbelieving voice ‘cute…?’, just as Itachi repeats “Attached?” 

“May I know what’s going on in here?”  
The three of them turn to look at the door-frame in which Kakashi is standing, the shape of a smile clearly visible under his mask. Itachi notices how a few cuts on his face seem almost healed and the lack of graver injuries and his own smile widen.  
“Just a heart-warming reunion,” he says, and his choice of words surprise even himself. Kakashi’s visible eye widens and he blinks a few times, before chuckling and shrugging.  
“Don’t let me interrupt you,” he says as he begins to walk away, but Deidara jumps away from the bed and rushes to Kakashi’s sides to grab his sleeve.  
“You join in too, I hate you but Kuro tolerates you so I guess that makes you an ok guy,” the kid says, looking everywhere but at Kakashi’s face.

Shisui chuckles, and Kakashi booms out a laugh. Itachi can’t contain his own amusement and his raises a hand to hide his grin but his eyes catch Kakashi’s and what he sees there make his heart grow even fonder of his mismatched party.

His long-dead cousin, his previous distrustful mentor, and a kid he had been hated by, all three now on his side. He’d never have thought he’d ever feel at home in Konoha, but he’s found people that make him feel comfortable and even if he isn’t yet prepared to put his feelings into words, he can at least tell them this.

“Thank you.”

Kakashi stops laughing, Deidara stops screaming and tugging hard enough on Kakashi’s arm to break a lesser man’s bone, and Shisui’s giggles stop to be replaced by a warm smile.

“No need to thank us, Kuro,” his cousin says with a wink, and if Kakashi remains frozen, Deidara is only a blur to the eye with how fast he jumps back on the bed to glue himself to Itachi’s chest.  
“Just don’t be an idiot again!” he wails and even the snot dripping down his nose seems endearing to Itachi.

 

 

 

“What a heart-warming scene,” the Hokage whispers to Jiraiya. The man shifts his position to stand a bit more comfortably against the tree trunk, a smile on his face.  
“It is,” he agrees, eyes stuck to the four people in the hospital room. They can see just enough inside the room to see what’s happening and it sure calms both of them down to witness such purity and affection.

Hiruzen had been worried about Kakashi and Shisui. They are both way too young to be holding such high ranking positions within the Anbu. Kids their age shouldn’t be neck deep in world problems and murder. He hadn’t even been sure that they were both capable of smiling in such a carefree manner.

And that’s not even mentioning Kuro. Hiruzen had thought him to be a man made from anger and sadness, someone who could be a cure as much as a poison for Konoha, and the entire world faced with the Akatsuki threat. It looks like he had been wrong again.

“I’m going to go see Naruto.”

Hiruzen snaps his head up, eyes meeting Jiraiya’s tired ones. There’s no end to surprises it seems.

“I want to take care of him, I should have done so years ago,” Jiraiya says with a sad smile. Hiruzen doesn’t see what has suddenly made him change his mind but he is glad he did. As the Hokage, he doesn’t have enough time on his hands for an orphan, even if it Kushina and Minato’s but no child should have to grow alone in a world like theirs.

“I’ll see if I can reduce the number of missions I send you on for a short while,” he offers, and Jiraiya’s face lights up. With a few words of thanks, the man disappears, probably rushing to Naruto’s sides as fast as possible.

A smile blooms on Hiruzen’s face as well. He hasn’t had such a good day in years, filled with laughs and love, happiness and positivity. He can only hope it’ll last.

 

 

“Kuro~ come on, we’re having fun!” Shisui sing-songs, but his tone isn’t as amusing as it usually is.  
“Shisui, you’re drunk,” Kuro shoots back coldly, but the teen only laughs.  
“You should be too!” he screams in his ear, his voice barely audible above the background noise of Gai singing and Genma shouting.

Itachi will never again agree to go to a party, especially one hosted by Gai. He had never managed to get used to the man’s flamboyance and it appears that his passionate obsession with youth is a long time thing. 

“LIVE EVERY DAY AS IF IT’S YOUR LAST!” Gai wails again, and Itachi has to block off his ears with his hands to protect his hearing.  
“See, that’s fun,” Shisui insists again but between his slurring voice and the smell of alcohol sticking to him, he doesn’t sound very convincing.  
“You’re too young to drink,” Itachi argues but Shisui rolls his eyes and stumbles away from him.  
“You’re seven years old to me, you can’t tell me what to do.”

And with that, he walks away on unsteady legs, leaving Itachi to wearily study his surroundings to make sure no one heard them. Thankfully it seems that he only isn’t in the middle of the living-room transformed into a dance floor with the others. Everyone is drunk, everyone is loud, everyone is having fun but him.

Itachi gets it though. They could have died on this mission, so when Gai had offered to spend the entire night drinking between friends, of course Kakashi and Shisui would be delighted. Never again will Itachi let his cousin convince him to join them. He doesn’t feel like he belongs. The people here don’t trust him, they don’t try to include him, and he didn’t expect them to. Even if they did, Itachi would just feel awkward.

He has been drunk before, but he isn’t the fun kind of drunk Gai is, he gets all sad and can’t think of anything but his parents’ murder. Plus, getting drunk means losing control of both mind and body, as well as a terrible headache the next morning.

 

He might as well spend the night in the bathroom.

 

 

Kakashi thinks he hasn’t seen Kuro in a while. He can’t be too sure because his memory is a bit fuzzy. He can’t even tell if he’s been singing with Gai for five minutes of two hours. With how raw his throat, it is probably the latter.

He looks around the living room, but the Uchiha is nowhere to be seen. Most people have already gone home, or crashed on the couch and the floor, passed out from too much alcohol. Genma’s sleeping on Hayate’s laps and it would probably be much cuter if he wasn’t drooling all over the man’s pants.

Kakashi wants to sleep on Kuro’s laps too. Yeah, he’s drunk.

He should probably be looking for Shisui instead, the kid is only fifteen and it’s probably a bad idea to leave a drunk child unsupervised, especially a shinobi child. But it’s Kuro Kakashi wants to see. He wants to take a look at his long flowing hair, the trademark charcoal eyes and his sweet smile.

Sage, he probably needs another drink. Or sleep.

 

Or even better, to throw up.

He makes his way to the bathroom, unsteady and so slow that the 30 seconds commute to the next door takes an embarrassingly long time.

Kakashi gently pushes the door open and looks inside. Only a small lamp is turned on, but it casts enough light for him to notice Kuro standing at the sink, eyes locked onto his own reflection in mirror on the wall.

"You gonna throw up?" He asks, and yeah, not very distinguished but his brain is a puddle and he has a hard time putting one feet in front of the other as he enters the bathroom.  
"I’m not drunk, you know,” Kuro answers, and yeah with how entirely collected he is, he probably hasn’t even had one glass.

Kakashi shuts the door behind him and approaches the other man. His dizziness is slowly getting better, he feels more focused with all of his attention centred on the man he had been wanting to see so badly.

"You hiding from Gai, then?" he asks with a voice that sounds a lot steadier than what he had thought it would. He’s doing a good job at acting like he’s sober. Probably not as well as he thinks, though.

Kuro chuckles. It's a deep and rich sound, and Kakashi suddenly feels dazzled by his smile. For someone so pretty, he doesn't nearly smile as much as he should. He almost voices the thought, weighting the odds of Kuro taking it well but he’d feel too embarrassed to face the other man after admitting something like that.

When he glances back at Kuro and he sees that the man is staring back with soft eyes, he looks almost vulnerable.  
“You’re drunk,” he says with an intimate smile that sends sparks flying in Kakashi’s stomach.  
"You’re beautiful," he answers instead. Yeah alright, he is completely wasted but whatever, the look of utter surprise and bashfulness that blooms on Kuro’s face is worth the regret and self-hatred Kakashi will most definitely feel tomorrow when he’ll wake up sober.

How could he not give him such a simple compliment when there's not a single flaw to be found on Kuro's face? He hasn't really noticed before, but his lashes are long, long enough to flutter close to his cheeks when he smiles and for some reason the sight makes Kakashi feel hot. Or maybe it's the alcohol.

He doesn’t dare look at the man, but he can feel the heat he radiates, they are standing close, close enough that they both fit in the mirror and when Kakashi looks up to check how red he really is, his eyes meet Kuro’s reflection.

His face is much redder than Kakashi’s and with his constantly activated Sharingan, the image is burnt into his brain forever. He looks shy, unsure and confused, but it’s a look that suits him, so at odds with his usual confidence and pride. It’s a good look on him, it makes Kakashi want to see more of his more reserved side.

One he thinks not many people have seen before. Kakashi wants to see it all so bad.

 

He needs to calm down.

Kakashi takes a deep breath and holds it for a few seconds before he lets it out. He instantly feels dizzy and almost regrets this decision but the next times he breathes in through his nose and he is assaulted by the scent of the man standing next to him. They _are_ awfully close to one another, but even without that, Kakashi’s nose would allow him to pick up his smell. They had spent long nights in close quarters on their way to Kiri, and it’s yet another piece of the man that Kakashi will forever carry with him.

Kakashi looks back up at the mirror in front of him and his eyes immediately lock onto Kuro’s. He was staring at Kakashi through the glass, and his heart rate suddenly picks up once more. The red of Kuro’s cheek is obscenely obvious against the white of his natural complexion, and Kakashi has to remind himself that reaching out to touch Kuro is probably a terrible idea. It’s getting harder the longer they stare at each other.

 

_Fuck it all._

 

Kakashi reaches out, he turns away from the mirror and lets his hand rise up to Kuro’s face. The man doesn’t back away, but his eyes do widen to stare right at Kakashi. It’s not an outright rejection and that’s all Kakashi needs to gather enough courage to run his hand through Kuro’s hair.

He breathes in deeply, catching the subtle scent of his shampoo, letting the strands swallow his hand in their silky softness. It’s nothing amazing, nothing out of the ordinary, to touch someone’s hair, but suddenly it isn’t just that any more.

It’s the first time Kakashi reaches out to touch Kuro with nothing but desire, it’s the first time Kuro has allowed him to, it’s the first time Kuro accepted his touch, welcomed it even.

Kuro lets out a shaky breath, eyes suddenly looking down with obvious embarrassment. Kakashi feels his entire body temperature rise a few degree when he notices that the man is also biting down on his lips. He can’t tell if it’s the alcohol that has suddenly transformed his blood into lava but there’s an inexplicable urge rising up in him. There’s a fire in his brain and butterflies in his stomach, his whole body feels like it’s trembling with tension and yet he doesn’t dare shift in the slightest lest he’d scare Kuro away.

He wants, he wants so bad. He wants and desires, he thirsts in a way he never has before.

So Kakashi doesn’t think, he’s done enough of that and it hasn’t gotten him anywhere, he’ll just face the consequences tomorrow.

He takes a step further into Kuro’s personal space, locks his hand at the man’s nape and gently tilts his face. Kakashi is still growing, but he feels slightly piqued that he has to straighten up and lift his head to meet Kuro halfway.

Their lips meet for the first time and time seems to stop. Kakashi notices the utter silence of the entire apartment, the way Kuro isn’t moving an inch and he starts to freak out but suddenly, Kuro sighs into the kiss, relaxes, and the dam breaks.

Kakashi pours his everything into Kuro, he runs a hand up his hip, bringing their bodies closer as he caresses his nape slowly. He feels every slight tremble in Kuro’s body, the hesitation with which his mouth opens to whisper yet another sigh.

Kakashi feels light-headed. It’s too much and yet not enough, he’s never felt like this with just a kiss before. The brushing of their lips has kindled a seeping fire that has now taken over his entire being. He needs more, he needs to be closer, he wants to feel all of Kuro.

He _really_ needs to calm down.

His hand tightens on Kuro’s hip and the man _moans_ , of all things to do just as Kakashi was trying to reign himself in. He snaps. 

He pushes up against Kuro, slamming the man against the door of the bathroom, the walls rattling from the impact. He moans again and Kakashi doesn’t wait for another one to slip his tongue inside Kuro’s mouth. They dance together sensually, touching and discovering each other with passion and yet some reserve.

Kakashi doesn’t want to push too far, but he doesn’t feel like he could stop even if he wanted to. The feeling of Kuro’s lips against his is addictive. He can hear all of his breaths, smell the sweat that has started to gather down his back, feel each and every one of his shivers every single time Kakashi’s hand on his hip digs deeper into his skin.

“Kakashi,” Kuro suddenly calls as he gently pushes Kakashi away. He sounds utterly wrecked, voice rough and lips kissed red, eyes blown. Kakashi dives in again, letting his teeth run over Kuro’s lips, biting down gently, the man immediately rewarding him with yet another shiver and a stuttering breath.

“Kakashi, wait, the door,” Kuro tries again but whatever it is he is trying to say, it doesn’t register in Kakashi’s fuzzy brain. He feels like he might just die if he stopped touching Kuro.

“K--...The door!”  
“Stop fucking, you idiots! Shisui is missing!”

Gai’s voice was all Kakashi needed to calm his raging boner.

He slowly backs away from Kuro, admiring the man’s beauty in all of it’s glory. His pale skin has taken on a pink hue that spreads all the way down to his now loose collar. Kakashi can’t help but wonder how down far it goes.

But suddenly, Gai’s words register and he doesn’t feel as out of control. It’s an unexpected cold shower that drains all of the fire that had been raging inside him.

“What?” Kuro calls as he slams the door open. He is out of breath and with how dishevelled they both look, there’s no avoiding the obvious conclusion everyone is going to make. Kakashi almost regrets it, but the sound the man was making are still ringing in his ears and he can’t find the heart to feel even slightly bad about it.

“We can’t find Shisui anywhere, he isn’t in the Uchiha compound and no one has seen him since he left ages ago,” Gai explains, and suddenly Kakashi’s brain catches up to the situation, the feeling of Kuro against him now a distant memory.  
“Wait, Shisui is missing?” He asks, and both men turn to glare at him.  
“Yes, Kakashi, we need to find him,” Kuro tells him, but before Kakashi can try to think of a course of action, there’s a loud distant crash that shakes the earth to its core.

A wave of killing intent suddenly comes out pouring from Kuro and Kakashi shivers in fear. He’s never felt such potent malice in his entire life.

He calls a single name, and it’s enough to chill Kakashi to his bone.

“Madara.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally they kiss. This was literally the very first scene I had written for this fanfic but since I lost all my documents, I had to start it all over. I feel like the first version was a lot better, but I hope it'll be somewhat acceptable.  
> As always, thank you for reading and patiently keeping up with my messy updates lol  
> Also, moment of truth: I really have no confidence in my writing skills at all. I never really got good grades in literature and my last fiction was a huge flop (in all honesty it sucked so...) so thank you all so much for the love you've given this piece of crap, it really warms my heart.
> 
> Thank you as always,  
> bye ~


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